Torn Heart
by GoTrinba
Summary: Naruto wants nothing to do with Sasuke after what happened after the fourth shinobi war. Feelings are abound when Naruto ends up sleeping with someone else and can't remember a thing about it . When Sasuke returns to Konoha, will Naruto's heart be torn between 2? Who'll he choose? Sasunaru, Kakanaru. Angst, romance, yaoi. M. Part of the fun is I don't know who Naruto'll choose!
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

**Hi everyone! I'm pleased to announce that this story is now being beta'd by the fabulous YaoiWhore. She was very kind to inform me about the whole beta business side to this site, and she's turned what I would call a wanna be nice attempt at my first piece of writing, into an actual well written story that's no longer rough around the edges lol No really, the fic has done a complete 180, or at least that's what I think, because sometimes, an author is the most critical about their own piece of writing. Anyways, this chapter has now been beta'd so go ahead, give it a read and tell me how much better y'all like it : )**

Torn Heart

Torn Between Two

It was just another day in the life of a Konoha nin. The streets were filled with people busily going through their day, the city filled with voices excited by the opening of a new ramen shop. Naruto alone was one of the many bystanders waiting for the grand opening. He fidgeted in excitement; he wished he could share it with someone, but sadly it was that season in Konoha. The season when all ninjas were overworked with missions, and there was no one that Naruto felt he could coax to accompany him. He stood in front of the large store which had a large sign promoting the grand opening, feeling a gust of wind behind him; instinctively he knew who it was without turning around.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're back from your mission already?! I thought I was the only one who was going to be here at the grand opening!" Naruto's demeanor brightened instantly at the sight of his teacher.

"Ahh, I was merely taking a stroll and noticed you standing there, seems to me like you were looking for company?" Kakashi adjusting his mask, moved next to Naruto so that he could be served next. "Sakura has been busy working at the hospital lately; it would be nice if you could stop by and see how she is doing, I am worried that she is overworking herself."

Naruto noted the worried expression on Kakashi's face, thinking that perhaps he should go visit Sakura later in the day. It had been a few weeks since he last talked to the kunoichi, and he knew she wasn't faring very well. The war against Madara had come to a halt after the defeat of the Juubi, and Tobi had been forced to retreat, but not without expressing his plans to return after further preparations were put into place. The villages had all agreed to continue with the alliance and keep their villages at high alert. There would be frequent meetings between the allied nations, and extensive data gathering and sharing to prepare against the possible return of Tobi.

Naruto, the driving force behind the temporary win, had since abandoned his search for Sasuke, after that fateful encounter. Even after Sakura's supposed confession to Naruto and insistence that he no longer needed to chase after Sasuke for her sake, she had been hurt beyond reason as Naruto announced he would no longer be pursuing Sasuke.

Naruto had never spoken about this encounter with Sasuke to anyone, nor explained the reasons behind his decision. Sakura had tried her hardest since then to act normal around Naruto, but everyone knew that she wasn't dealing well with her teammate giving up on the pursuit and capture of her childhood crush.

He felt guilty whenever he was around Sakura, her eyes proclaiming her inner feelings, he had deliberately been avoiding her for the past weeks. Now here he was, next in line to order a new kind of ramen, new even for him, and Kakashi had decided to bring up that uncomfortable subject.

**Flashback**

Cheers could be heard as Tobi retreated. While it was not ideal that he had gotten away, it was for certain that a definite dent had been put into his plans to control the villages. Naruto had been the one that had dealt the last blow to Madara. The Juubi had demonstrated a great weakness in its incomplete state, which gave Naruto the upper hand at cutting it down and allowed him to immobilize it.

The Hachibi had taken it from there. Naruto had proceeded to take over the fight with Madara, and under Kyuubi's control, performed the same sealing technique that had been used on the nine-tails itself, all of those years ago. In the end, having had the support of Kyuubi was what had given them the edge they had needed to win.

Naruto collapsed from exhaustion, the Kyuubi inside of him alerting him to an intruder's presence nearby.

Deciding that for now it posed no threat, he decided to ignore it for the time being. He thought back to the battle. Many lives had been lost and the injured were currently being carried back to the nearest village for medical treatment. As far as he knew, none of his friends were mortally injured, and for that he was grateful. His friends and fellow ninja, at least the ones who weren't injured, each congratulated Naruto for his victory. He watched as they quickly took off along with everyone else for some needed rest. Everyone had been fighting hard for days and were nearly exhausted to death, having fought until their chakra reserves were nearly depleted.

Hinata, who had remained by Naruto's side even after his collapse, was sent off the same as all of the others.

"I will be fine Hinata, don't worry about me. I just want to rest here for a little longer and think things over. I will catch right up with everyone back at Konoha!" Hinata gave him a doubtful look for that one, but right now he really didn't care. Naruto frowned as he watched Hinata leave. He now knew that the presence that was lurking just beyond was only making itself known to him; he needed to find out who it was and what it wanted.

After judging that there was no imminent danger now that the enemy was taken care of, Naruto, deserted in an empty field that had once been a forest, withdrew deeper into himself.

He went into sage mode and concentrated his senses to locate where that strange chakra signature was originating from. He was curious as to why no one else seemed to have sensed it, but more importantly he wanted to know to whom it belonged and why they remained hidden.

No ally of theirs would have a reason to hide, especially with the battle having ceased.

"I know you're out there! I am the only one here now, show yourself or I will be forced to drag you out! I know that you have been watching me for a while now!" Naruto yelled. It bothered him that this seemingly familiar chakra signature kept coming in and out of focus, but he didn't let that knowledge dampen his resolve.

"Dobe. I see you're as talentless as ever. "

Naruto quickly turned around at the sound of _that_ voice…just in time to see Sasuke leap towards him, dodging a blow that had been directed at his face.

To say that Naruto was surprised would have been an understatement.

Sasuke stood not even three inches away from him now, sharingan swirling, staring right at him with an intensity that was very unlike him. Soon enough, the gaze was quickly replaced by the characteristic cocky superior expression that Naruto hated, and yet hadn't seen in so long.

How the hell had he not noticed that that strange chakra signature belonged to Sasuke?_ And why is he just standing there staring at me like that?_

Sasuke stood so close that Naruto couldn't have even taken one step forward without colliding with the other's face.

The dark haired boy was now eyeing him with an unreadable expression. It appeared as though he wanted to say something, but he just stood there continuing to quietly stare.

Sasuke hadn't changed all that much since Naruto had last seen him, which had been the time when he had seriously tried to kill Sakura. He stood slightly shorter than Naruto, radiating the same aura of confidence he always possessed. Being so close he could see that aging through his late teen years had only been kind to Sasuke, giving his features more refinement, giving him a look even more flawless, if such a thing was even possible.

Naruto had long since gotten over his jealousy of Sasuke, or at least his jealousy when it came to girls mooning over him. He admitted to himself that if every girl in the village had been after Sasuke, he had to have been at least slightly good-looking.

Or just plain good looking, after all, he didn't have to admit it out loud to himself did he? No, it was simply a case of it having been too long since he'd last laid eyes on Sasuke, so he couldn't help but examine his old friend and rival.

Sasuke wasn't completely sure he wanted to go through with this. Seeing his brother one last time had brought some level of inner peace to him, but he wanted to be rid of Naruto once and for all.

Naruto had always been a constant thorn in his side. He had never understood why the dobe kept trying so hard to bring him back. It wasn't like they shared anything special with each other. The bond Naruto always spoke of simply didn't exist to him.

During the time spent with Itachi, he had decided that he would spare the pathetic village of Konoha and simply target the elders who were responsible for his peoples' destruction and Itachi's fate.

If it would give Itachi some peace of mind, he would allow Konoha to continue its pathetic, false livelihood, but he would have no part in it. There was no way he would ever return to a village that had betrayed and abandoned them.

For that he would still fight Naruto, his rival during the time he had grown up in Konoha. The moron that believed he stood a chance against him.

He had no other interest in Naruto other than to wipe that smile off of his annoying face. The annoyance would only get in the way of his plans, and after seeing that Naruto was actually gaining quite the reputation, he would seize this opportunity to rid himself of the moron, and that annoying bond he was so intent upon bringing up every time they encountered each other.

Sasuke's participation in the war had been minimal; he had helped his brother defeat Kabuto, and when he finally had spotted Naruto, ready to engage him in their final fight, Naruto was already busy fighting Madara.

Reduced to a simple spectator, Sasuke watched the fight with slight surprise; Naruto had gained complete control of his tailed beast. It was at that moment that Sasuke decided to mask his chakra so that he couldn't be detected.

It's not as though anyone else would have noticed him, unless he wanted to be noticed; it was a battle royal out there, every ninja fending for himself.

The allied nin were pushing back the Zetsu, and he could only guess the enormous monstrosity towering over the masses was the Juubi being attacked by the Hachibi. He continued to watch, hoping that Naruto would go down and go down hard. That would make his job so much easier.

After all, if Naruto went down now, it would spare him the trouble, and he would no longer have to listen to his old teammate blabber about bringing him back. To his disappointment however, Naruto was victorious and so he had continued to observe and monitor the situation until everyone had left the area.

Then he made his move.

Letting small flickers of his chakra flow in Naruto's direction, Sasuke's goal was for Naruto to pick up on it and stay behind to investigate. He had learned from Orochimaru long ago how to mask his chakra and make it appear as someone else's, so Naruto wouldn't have known who it was.

If Naruto had any brains, he would take the hint and decide to stay back to confront whoever it was that was egging him on.

Now he was face to face with Naruto, having made a half attempt at attacking him earlier. Not even Sasuke would fully attack an opponent he knew had already fought an exhausting battle. He stood there, not quite knowing how he should proceed now.

Gazing into Naruto's eyes intently, Sasuke tried to figure out where he should go from here, and decided that today was not the fateful day that had been decided on for his fight with Naruto.

Doing a very un-Sasuke like thing, he decided to go with the flow and let the moment guide them and his next words were proof of that, "Why are you looking at me like that Naruto? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Naruto quickly stopped his staring at Sasuke's face, a little embarrassed that he had been caught. He really had missed his friend and wouldn't let this opportunity be squandered. Sasuke would definitely be coming home with him, today.

"Baka, you have been evading me for more than a year now, and then you suddenly decide to show up in front of me out of the blue! Of course it was a surprise seeing that smug face of yours again." Naruto retorted, fixing his composure and wishing he hadn't sent his comrades off after all.

_Great, I used up the last of my remaining energy gathering nature's chakra to sense the bastard out. If Sasuke decides to kill me now there is no way I can fight back._

"Naruto, it wouldn't give me any satisfaction to kill a flea, let alone one that is in no condition to put up a fight." Sasuke smirked, unsheathing his sword, angling it between them until it was pointing at Naruto's neck.

Naruto stilled for a fraction of a second, deciding to ignore the fact that the very sharp end of a sword was currently against his neck. Deciding to proceed anyway, he pushed it aside, grabbing Sasuke by the collar of his garment, inching even closer to make a point.

"Teme, we both know I can still beat you to a pulp! Hey what's wrong Sasuke... stop looking at me like that, you're creeping me out!"

Sasuke's face had gone blank the moment Naruto had grabbed him. They had only exchanged a few words, so why did the blonde always affect him in this way?

He had felt a pang of excitement when Naruto had grabbed him. Nothing twisted, just a feeling that he knew what was to come. Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke, determination evident by the grim set of his features.

Sasuke looked like he was out of it and wondered again why he was acting so unusual today. To seek him out, goad him, and then declare that he didn't want a fight because Naruto was out of chakra?

_Since when did Sasuke care about things like that? Last I heard he had moved on to killing innocent people…_

"I met Itachi again," were the first words Sasuke spoke, breaking the uneasy silence.

_So that's what's got him out of whack_, Naruto wondered, _that still doesn't explain why he sought me out._

"You are a thorn at my side, Naruto. I have taken a path that no one can steer me clear of. I no longer plan on destroying Konoha."

Sasuke shoved Naruto's hands off, and moved to lean next to a mountainous hill, that more than likely had been the result of the previous battle. His head bowed as if in deep thought, he finally said,

"Itachi's will was that I return to the village and forget about my revenge. But we both know I can't do that Naruto. I will spare your traitorous village, so full of cowards, but I will not allow the elders to go unpunished for their heinous crimes against my clan and brother."

At that, Naruto stilled, sadness filling his eyes. It was fortunate that Sasuke would not be going after Konoha for now. However, no matter what atrocities the Elders were responsible for, it was not in his nature to allow the cruelties that Sasuke undoubtedly had planned for them to come to fruition.

Sasuke's features had gone blank, as if he was still deep in thought and coming to terms maybe with his new plans.

_He must have decided this course of action on a whim_, Naruto thought. _It still beats his intention of destroying Konoha though, that's for sure_.

Naruto remained silent for several more minutes, thinking about how to respond to what he had just heard. _Judging from Sasuke's demeanor, he doesn't seem like he is in a sane state of mind at the moment. If I say or do the wrong thing, I might spark that insane out-of- proportions mood of his. I need to ignore the fact that he has just admitted to targeting the elders and talk him into returning with me. But how do I go about doing that? _

Naruto continued to go through his options, until a question he already knew the answer to clicked in his mind.

"And you think I will get in your way, so you want to kill me now before I interfere?" Naruto walked across until he stood next to Sasuke, placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The dark haired teen looked very pensive, and Naruto was sure it must be because he was slowly recalling his encounter with Itachi; but through the eyes of someone who knew all sides to the story.

_Sasuke must be plagued with questions and being the anti-social bastard that he is must have had no one to talk to_. Naruto felt a little giddy that Sasuke had shared that bit of information with him, because he knew just how much Itachi influenced Sasuke's actions._ Could it be that Sasuke didn't come here to kill me, but rather to talk about his brother?_

Sasuke was experiencing an internal struggle; he had come here to kill Naruto, but that stupid blonde always had a way of rattling him up. He was not sure why he had told him about Itachi, but now Naruto had that stupid knowing look on his face, as if he understood everything. And apparently he had felt comfortable enough to try and comfort him by placing his arm on Sasuke's shoulder? Thunder roared off in the distance, and after a few seconds, a heavy rain started falling at the clearing.

Both shinobi made a run for cover, finding a cave nearby, in between two mountains that could shelter them from the elements. The space between the mountains was very dark, so Naruto could barely make out the shape that was Sasuke, who was currently reclined against a stone wall on one side of the cave.

He walked up to Sasuke and resumed his previous action of placing an arm on Sasuke's shoulder, except Naruto could no longer clearly see Sasuke's expression as he squeezed his shoulder gently.

Feeling Sasuke's shoulder tense at the gesture, Sasuke finally said, "You of all people should understand why the elders need to be punished. I don't care what happens to you, but I will destroy you if you get in my way." He said this in such a light tone that Naruto could feel Sasuke's resolve melting.

Sasuke wasn't sure why, but this close contact with Naruto was reminding him of the times when they were younger and had relied on each other. Why did he continue to be affected by Itachi's words? Itachi had been so sure that Naruto was the one that could change his mind. _But what was it about Naruto that had made him seem so certain of that?_

Sasuke looked at Naruto in the eyes, exploring Naruto's features with his Sharingan as it was too dark to see with normal vision.

Naruto had changed so much from when they were younger; a notable fact was that he had surpassed Sasuke in height. Now, Naruto stood in front of him, face a couple of inches away from his, his eyes blindly searching in the dark, as if trying to confirm something.

Sasuke's heart began to pound a little faster and he contemplated the reasons behind such a response. Impulsively, he raised his hands and wrapped them around Naruto's neck. Not in a painful or choking manner, but more to get his attention and a feel for the blonde.

Trailing his fingers softly down Naruto's neck with his right hand, he leaned in next to Naruto's ear to whisper, "Naruto, why can't I get you out of my mind?"

Naruto, surprised at the comment and the proximity, shivered at the heat from Sasuke's breath and smirked.

He reached behind Sasuke's head to turn his own head the opposite way so that he could whisper in Sasuke's other ear, "You have always been in mine."

With that, Sasuke pushed Naruto across against the other side of the cave, trapping him against the wall, and held him there with a hand against his chest. Sasuke wasn't sure why, but this little game they had initiated was beginning to excite him.

How far could he push this before he made Naruto uncomfortable? Not sure how he had gone from wanting to kill the dobe to teasing him, he attributed it to the emotions Itachi had caused to surface in him earlier that day. _No matter, this is just temporary. No harm in messing with Naruto for a little longer before I leave._

"The bond which you are so obsessed with Naruto, how far are you willing to go to protect it?" As he said this, he grabbed both arms of a shocked Naruto and imprisoned them above the blonde's head.

Naruto had become confused at this point, _what is Sasuke doing_?

The orange clad lad found himself sandwiched in-between a rock-hard surface and Sasuke, and both of his hands were being held captive above him. He felt a little defenseless, and it didn't help that he could hardly see in the darkness of the cave, only barely making out Sasuke's figure and features, but he knew that Sasuke must be playing a joke on him, as strange as that sounded. He decided to answer Sasuke's question honestly to maybe deter the dangerous game that had commenced.

Nervously, Naruto murmured, "Sasuke you know I would do anything for you, you need to let me go, this joke isn't funny anymore."

Naruto hoped that this would work; he was feeling increasingly nervous, and that combined with not being able to see and knowing that Sasuke was looking right at him with the Sharingan's ability, made for an uneasy tension that filled the air.

Naruto's breathing had increased due to his nervousness, which Sasuke noted immediately.

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure where he was going with this, but things had already gotten a little out of hand, and it was too late to stop now.

"Do I make you nervous Naruto? I know your body heat is rising, prove to me how far you will go not to sever our "bond". This is your only chance Naruto, after this, you won't see me until the day I enter Konoha to claim the elders' heads as my trophy."

Naruto felt a chill go down his spine at Sasuke's words.

When would he encounter Sasuke again? He knew Sasuke had the upper hand as far as stamina went right now, but when would he have this chance again? Sasuke was acting too strangely, he was sharing much more with Naruto than he ever had before, and he still hadn't released him from his hold.

How was he to prove to Sasuke that Naruto's presence in his life was still necessary? If words weren't enough, did Sasuke want actions? Maybe he wanted to embarrass Naruto by forcing the blonde to beg?

_That is an idea…_which is what made Sasuke such a dangerous opponent.

_Why aren't my words enough? _Naruto furiously contemplated.

Naruto tried to free his arms in an attempt to demonstrate to Sasuke exactly how much he meant to him.

But before he could make such a gesture, Sasuke moved one of his legs and shoved it hard in-between his legs to keep him in place. Naruto jumped at the sudden unexpected obstacle to any further movement.

Sasuke was pressed taught against him, slamming him even closer into the rocky wall that dug deep against the captive boy's back. Hearing a pained moan, Sasuke ceased his ministrations, his body stilling against Naruto's.

"Not that I care what you think, but don't mistake my intentions. You can either join me or resist me. I don't know why I have the urge to do what I'm about to do, especially with you of all people. But with this I can finally sever that bond that you treasure so much. Unless you have some sick fantasy which I am about to fulfill, either way, I win."

With that, Sasuke dived in and caught Naruto's unsuspecting lips in a forceful kiss. Naruto moaned trying to get some words out, but was unable to shake Sasuke off from on top of him.

Sasuke had long stopped thinking about his actions, letting his emotions and body navigate his course. He had suddenly felt a need to feel and taste Naruto, and he had allowed that need to guide him.

He despised everything about Naruto, his optimistic way of looking at life, his sappy quotes, and especially his obsession with him. But if he despised Naruto so much, why was it that as much as he thought he had finally rid himself of the memory of the idiot, he always found himself reminded of him at the oddest of times?

And why was it that up until a few moments ago, he had had another change of heart and instead of wanting to kill Naruto, he felt the need to touch him in places that shouldn't be touched by another unless they were your mate?

Sasuke wasn't innocent; he had taken many women during his training days with Orochimaru. When he had a need, he would satisfy it instead of letting it consume his thoughts and interfere with his training.

This was a new feeling entirely, he had never felt the need to do this with another man.

He would later think about what that meant, but for now rather than disgust him, he felt increasingly turned on by the way Naruto was writhing beneath him.

A million thoughts were currently racing through Naruto's mind. The one that topped his list was why did all his first kisses have to be with Sasuke-teme?!

He had gotten over the initial shock and tried to reason why Sasuke's tongue was now shoved down his throat_. Concentrate Naruto, if you screw up he won't forgive you._ Naruto understood that this is what Sasuke had been referring to.

_He wants me to prove how strong my resolve to keep our bond is. That teme, if I resist him, he will take it to mean that I don't care for our bond as much as I've let on. On second thought, he is probably just trying to test me. Well, he'll have to quit at some point, I'll show him! _

With that resolve in mind, Naruto decided to let himself be kissed by Sasuke and relaxed in Sasuke's embrace.

Sasuke ran his tongue along Naruto's lips, alternating between licking and sucking. He then rolled the tip of his tongue against Naruto's, eliciting sensations of ecstasy never before felt, and that's when the blonde started feeling too good.

_Ugh, great… Sasuke, how long do you intend to keep this up? This is feeling too good. It is not supposed to feel this good; this is wrong on so many levels! _

Sasuke heard Naruto make a soft sound deep in his throat, and took that as the initiative to deepen the kiss, all the while softening his leg lock against Naruto to softly brush the front of his body against the one beneath his instead.

Naruto twitched at the contact, feeling embarrassed at having been found out. His member had become hard with arousal after Sasuke had deepened the kiss, and he couldn't imagine how he would face Sasuke after this.

For once he was glad it was dark and he couldn't see the expression on Sasuke's face. He couldn't imagine Sasuke ever being turned on by him. Naruto was being made a fool of, but he would endure this to prove to Sasuke just how much he cared about their bond.

Sasuke let out a grunt as Naruto become even harder as a result of Sasuke's ministrations.

He rubbed his leg against Naruto's erection; he didn't want to release Naruto's arms just yet, not wanting to give the blonde any chances to resist.

Sasuke felt so much more aroused than he had ever felt toying with a woman before, and that surprised him a little. _What is it about Naruto that drives me insane?_

Feeling Naruto's obvious arousal grow against Sasuke's leg was driving him crazy. He needed to relieve some pressure inside his own pants and he braced himself as he closed the remaining gap separating their bodies, pressing his entire body flush against Naruto's.

Expecting more of a fight than what he got, Naruto had simply stopped kissing him back, but Sasuke could tell by Naruto's expression that he was definitely enjoying himself.

_I wonder if Naruto knows he is making that face_.

Sasuke had no plans of stopping, nor did he feel the need to please Naruto. Now that he too was a sporting an erection, he was going to put Naruto to work.

_Naruto is going to hate me after I'm through with him. It is a shame that I'm feeling this good with the dobe, but he won't want to come after me after I strip him of his dignity_. Sasuke bit hard into Naruto's shoulder, hearing the body beneath him utter another half pained, half pleasured sound.

He released Naruto's arms.

"Unbutton my pants." Sasuke ordered.

Naruto gave him an incredulous look, but after about a minute he wordlessly reached out his hand and unzipped Sasuke's zipper.

In a husky yet controlling tone, Sasuke continued, "Pull out my cock, Naruto."

At that, Naruto scoffed, and couldn't help but burst out with outrage.

"Are you fucking kidding me Sasuke, you're taking this too far! You know the both of us can't possibly want this, so why are you forcing this on me?"

Naruto honestly didn't know what to do. His convictions had been slightly swayed, and he didn't know if he could actually work up the nerve to pull Sasuke's dick out of his boxers. He had never touched another guy's penis before, let alone done anything sexual with anyone before.

So far he hadn't minded the kissing, even with another male, but this was probably because it was with Sasuke and it had felt almost natural.

But handling his penis was at a whole different level and he didn't know how he would react to that once it actually happened.

He decided he would do it anyway, and without another word, reached into the slit of Sasuke's boxers, and pulled out his shaft, which was larger than Naruto would have guessed. Being grateful for the shield darkness provided, but still able to feel his length, Naruto deduced Sasuke was more well-endowed than him.

_Great, as if I wasn't already self-conscious enough as it is of the bastard, now there's another thing he has beaten me in._

"Good Naruto, now get on your knees and suck it."

As Sasuke commanded this, he put his hands on Naruto's shoulders, forcing him into a kneeling position.

It hadn't escaped his notice that Naruto's erection had died down when he had pulled out Sasuke's arousal.

_No matter, it's best the dobe hates this for both our sakes_.

Without further notice, he pushed Naruto's head forwards onto his now seeping cock.

Something about forcing Naruto to do this turned Sasuke on even more.

Naruto's mouth was assaulted by the tip of Sasuke's cock. He had kept his mouth closed, so he now had a sticky mess covering the front of his face. He had tried to escape, but Sasuke had a firm grip on him and the strength behind said grip, wasn't allowing him any slack to pull back.

Naruto closed his eyes, fighting down the urge to fight back.

_All right so maybe Sasuke was serious about this. If I can get this over with as quick as possible, I can just pretend like it never happened and erase it from my memory. _With that thought, Naruto allowed Sasuke to guide his mouth onto his cock, expecting Sasuke to begin thrusting into it; however, nothing of the sort happened

"Naruto, I want you to suck it," Sasuke ground out in a strained and barely controlled voice.

Mentally, Sasuke hoped that Naruto hadn't had some similar fantasy about this, but he found it rather strange that Naruto was barely putting up a fight.

_Is he really taking this bond shit seriously? I am going to enjoy watching his face as the realization that this changes nothing takes hold of him._

Sasuke was barely containing the urge to thrust into Naruto's mouth. This was the first time that he'd ever been so excited that pre-cum started to seep out of his excited member before he had even begun.

Naruto's resistance to move lasted only momentarily, and soon Sasuke felt Naruto's tongue going back and forth from the base of his member and then back up towards the head. Naruto started to experiment with suction, and he established a rhythm that was slowly but surely driving Sasuke to the edge.

Sasuke fought the urge to make a sound; he didn't want Naruto to hear exactly how much he was enjoying this. He watched Naruto's face, the look on the usually idiotic face causing him so much pleasure that he took ahold of it and started pushing Naruto's mouth even further down on his shaft, urging Naruto to go faster.

With an increasing rhythm, Sasuke pushed his member as deep as it would go into Naruto's throat, and as quickly as he'd sheathed his entire member inside the warm cave that was Naruto's mouth, he was forced to retreat by a sudden jerk.

Naruto coughed violently at the sudden increase in speed, and he gagged on Sasuke's arousal, quickly pulling it out of his mouth.

He had been slightly surprised at Sasuke's sudden take over. He was also surprised at the ease in which he had established the rhythm of sucking Sasuke off.

Sasuke tasted, well…not bad. There was nothing that he could compare it to, but it wasn't anything unpleasant. He had cringed at the beginning, not at the taste, but more at the texture of the sticky moisture that was gathering at the top of Sasuke's penis.

Naruto's limp penis began to regain a semblance of life just from watching Sasuke's reaction, as he had run his tongue along the head of Sasuke's very sensitive member.

When Sasuke had grabbed him and pushed his way deep inside Naruto's throat, it had been unexpected, so his choke reflex had instinctively engaged, not recognizing the object being shoved into it.

But now that he knew what to expect, he grabbed Sasuke's hips and buried the engorged member as deep as he could inside his throat and decided just to experiment, the intent to get Sasuke to finish as quickly as possible. Taking one of his free hands off of Sasuke's hips, Naruto busied himself with fondling Sasuke's balls.

At the extended sensation, Sasuke let out a long moan while thrusting three final times, cumming hard inside Naruto's mouth, not letting go of Naruto's head until he'd completely emptied his semen.

Naruto had had no choice but to swallow everything. Sasuke came so deep in his throat that it had been easier to get it all down than to bring it back up, save he spill the contents of his stomach.

Tears were streaming down the sage's face, not because he was sad, but the constant fight against his gag reflex had caused his eyes to water.

Glad that it was finally over, Naruto prayed that Sasuke wouldn't push him any further.

As aroused as watching Sasuke moan and being able to make him come made Naruto feel, and as much as he wanted to relieve himself now, he would never willingly do that in front of his old rival.

Naruto was only aroused now because of the act itself, not because he had any sort of romantic feelings towards Sasuke. And he decided that that was good, because it is not like Sasuke wanted him either.

Inside, he was more than a little upset that Sasuke would think to stoop so low. But Sasuke meant everything to him, he was like a brother to him, and for his brother he would do anything. Even knowingly demean himself.

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a few moments, before pushing him away with his foot.

He could see Naruto's arousal causing his pants to tent, and decided to call him out on it, just for the simple reason of putting any remaining silly ideas of bonds in his head to rest.

"That wasn't half bad for a noob, Naruto, but don't expect me to return the favor, I couldn't even get near another guy's cock, let alone yours."

Sasuke threw Naruto one of his disinterested cold stares, causing a spear of hurt to pierce Naruto's heart.

After having done what Sasuke had asked, Naruto hadn't expected Sasuke to revert back to his usual cold self.

Naruto felt nausea fill him at Sasuke's words. He had sucked the bastard off per his request, and now Sasuke had the audacity to talk down to him for something he had demanded?

Sasuke simply looked at Naruto before saying,

"Dobe, I hope you know that after this, there is no more "bond" between us. I simply did this to sever that bond. I violated your dignity and only an even bigger moron would continue chasing after me now. Don't be pathetic; go back to that village you love so much. Don't worry about those puny elders either, I won't kill them, I will make them suffer a fate worse than death."

And with that, Sasuke quickly adjusted his pants, and tilted Naruto's head up with one arm.

Naruto's face held dejection; his eyes moist with unshed tears.

Sasuke paid it no mind and pressed a quick chaste kiss against Naruto's lips, keeping eye contact with the dobe.

With that, he disappeared.

Naruto had remained once again in the familiar position of being abandoned by Sasuke.

And once he was gone, he let the tears he had been holding flow freely.

_I'm such a moron. Teme, this is so stupid. Why did this happen? Sasuke I trusted you and now I don't know…_

Naruto felt violated and felt an increasing need to puke. Leaning over, he vomited the contents of what Sasuke had forced him to endure and swallow.

Wiping his mouth clean, he thought to himself.

_Sasuke, this could have meant something entirely different if you hadn't kept running away from your feelings. But you're finally getting what you wanted, I won't keep chasing after you any longer._

End Flashback

The memories Naruto had been trying so hard to suppress about his ex-teammate, tended to resurface at the mention of the pink haired kunoichi, so Kakashi had broached an uncomfortable subject for him.

As he ate ramen, sitting next to his sensei, he wondered what would happen the next time he and Sasuke were forced to meet.

For now, he needed to find a way to mend things with his female teammate.

Today, it seemed like he would have some free time to ponder over these things without worrying about a mission.

Or not.

Now that they were finished with lunch, Kakashi switched on his serious look, the look he reserved for assigning important missions or bad news.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:  
**So I just finished my 2nd to last final before this winter holiday! I have not slept in over 36 hours! And feel a bit like a zombie right now, but I was happy that in just a day I got a couple of people favorite~ing my story since it's only been a day since I on a whim decided to write a fanfic : ) I just want to say thanks to my 2 lovely reviewers, you have made me very happy : ) Don't be shy people, if you read spent your time reading my story, leave me word, if even just to say hi! I'm a crazy reviewer, everything I read I leave a review, I love getting my opinions and thoughts out there. I'll be happy with any acknowledgements you want to throw my way muwahaha

This chapter is much shorter than the first, but should be easier to read since I have somewhat laid out a starting point for this story. I'm surprisingly really enjoying trying to put my ideas into writing, I expect to continue this during my winter vacation and see how far I can take this story : ) Hope you enjoy what randomly popped into my head today during my delusional state of mind. Enjoy~~

**Torn Heart  
Chapter 2**

Darkness started to creep down on Konoha. With the end of the year drawing near, and the promise of a heavy winter snow on its way, it wasn't uncommon for the village to become enveloped in darkness much earlier than during their summer days. By the time the Academy dismissed its students, the sun was already almost completely hidden behind the Hokages' sculptures in the mountains. The night life in Konoha never seemed to be lacking. It was already making its appearance in fact. A few people were wandering here and there, browsing the only district in Konoha that remained lively past the early signs of the coming morning.

Naruto never really had time to come to this part of town. He was always trying to go on new missions, enjoying the training and experience he gained along the way. He rarely had a day off to himself like this, so today was a bit of a special day for him. Since the war had come to an end a couple of weeks ago, Tsunade had not hesitated to start putting all her able ninja to work as soon as she noticed they were capable. There was a lot to get done around the village she claimed; all the allied Nation's had spent so much of their country's funding in the war effort that now, they were going to have to pick up twice the number of missions than before from other villages so that they could stimulate their economies get going. That's part of the reason why he was here now, making his way across a shinobi bar trying to find his teammate.

Kakashi hadn't given him much details, but he had ordered Naruto to find Sai and wait for further instructions. Kakashi hadn't made much sense, but like usual, disappeared with a quick poof, and left him alone, wondering what the hell was going on?

Naruto should have known Kakashi hadn't just casually bumped into him back at the ramen shop. His teacher barely paid any attention to him, let alone kept him company through a whole meal.

Naruto's mind sidetracked, and wondered what a man like Kakashi spent his time doing. He didn't really know much about him, aside from the common formalities and all that. Did Kakashi have a girlfriend? Naruto mentally smacked himself across the head, laughing to himself. That pervert is too obsessed with his novels it's like he has no interest in women_! Ok fine, _Naruto thought to himself, _I'll give him some slack, Kakashi does have this cool aura about him, but he is kind of detached from things also, a little like Sasuke teme..._

He stopped his thoughts right there, not wanting to continue that train of thought. He had come to terms with the incident, having given it a lot of thought these past few weeks, and he just didn't want to get sucked back into it at the moment. He felt a pang in his chest at the brief thought of Sasuke, but his train of thought was interrupted when he spotted Sai sitting on a stool across the other side of the room.

This particular bar he had made his way into, he hadn't really paid much attention to it, but now that he looked around, he noticed that there were only men, who were apparently very happy to be there. They hung off each other and laughed hysterically without a care, no doubt energized by having one too many drinks that night. Naruto, not accustomed to bars, squeezed his way through two men that were standing a little too close to each other, and continued that short distance to where Sai was sitting. _Why the hell is Sai in a place like this? Are these men really shinobi? They sure don't seem like it having their guard down like that. _

Sai stopped talking to the guy across from him, and looked surprised to see him there. "Dickless. Didn't expect to see you here. I don't suppose you go for the other team?" He asked loudly.

"Other team!?"Naruto spoke loudly, realizing they were being stared at blushed. "Stop joking around Sai, Kakashi sensei sent me out here to meet you. You shouldn't drink, I think he has some important information regarding a mission he means to disclose to us. He had a serious expression when he told me to come here; I hope it's not anything bad." Naruto let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. This scene was beginning to make him a little uncomfortable. He gave the bar another quick glance, noticing how some Shinobi were paired off with each other. "Sai, is this a uhh…why are you here…?" He leaned in closer to Sai, trying his best not to look conspicuous as he drew near to whisper in his ear, "Don't tell me that you are gay Sai?"

With those words, Sai pulled back from Naruto and gave him a confused look. "But Naruto, why do you ask me this now of all times? Shouldn't you get your mind out of the gutter?" Sai now displaying one of his fake smiles, felt really good when he was able to utilize some common slang in his every day speech. Lately, he had been spending an increasing amount of time with Sakura since her and Naruto's temporary fall out, and she had really been complimenting him lately on how much he was improving at understanding social matters and gatherings. He had no idea why Naruto had insinuated that he was gay, but he wouldn't dwell on that too much. He was sure he wasn't giving off any "gay" vibes to anybody.

He glanced around at the clock on the wall, taking note of the time. It was his understanding that Naruto was being promoted to the rank of a Jounin. Tsunade had arranged for this particular day to surprise the blonde and give him the news. Everyone in the village felt that the war wouldn't have been won over if it weren't for Naruto, and with the pressure of not only the Hokage but the other great Kages as well, the council was forced to relent. Tsunade was given the freedom to grant Naruto an exception to skip the Chuunin exams and move up in rank straight to a Jounin. Sakura, happy that her teammate was a step closer to realizing his dream, had rented out a huge salon where everyone was now waiting for the preparations to be complete and surprise Naruto. He was under the impression that everyone was off on some mission and that he was the only one that was in town.

Sai didn't like surprises, but he felt good when Naruto looks happy, and for that reason, volunteered himself to be the one to keep Naruto occupied until the preparations were complete. It sounded like things were going without a hitch so far. He did agree with Kakashi that they should wait until tomorrow to clue him in on their next assignment, which without a doubt could very well lead them straight to an encounter with the person Naruto has spent over half his life time running after. The news had the potential to ruin this night for Naruto, so he and Sakura were ordered to remain silent for the moment. Just a few more minutes and he would walk Naruto right out of this bar into the inviting hours of the night.

**To be continued…  
End Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**Torn Heart  
Chapter 3**

Naruto was standing right outside a flashy building that was lit brightly by a pink banner. A confused expression settled on his face as he turned his head to look at Sai. This day was somehow turning out to be a very strange day. First, he had woken up to a strange note on his front door telling him about the opening of a new ramen shop he hadn't even heard about. Second, Kakashi-sensei had actually kept him company during lunch and paid for his entire order. Everybody knows that Kakashi would do anything to get out of paying a bill. Thirdly, he didn't even want to think about what had happened at that strange bar he had walked into today.

Just as Sai and him had been making their way out of the bar, a strange trio had approached them and offered them a drink. Among the group was a very beautiful looking lady that kept giving him side glances whenever she thought he wasn't looking. Sai, the social beast he was apparently unleashing, had accepted the drink and was listening as two of the men in the group were risking conversation with him. Naruto, a little sheepish at the extra attention he was receiving, scratched the top of his head nervously and got a little flustered when the pretty lady tumbled onto him as the bar was growing more crowded. He had acted quickly and caught her by her front, blushing intensely as he had brushed against one of her breasts. At that, Naruto had stiffened, a billion things going through his head at once. He had decided to just ask if she was okay, and had wanted to try and get her name at least; it wasn't often after all, that a pretty lady would show this much interest in him.

Naruto had done a lot of growing since he defeated Pain. He had noticed that the attention he had been getting at the village had increased considerably after that, and the villagers had started accepting him more. But that didn't mean that he had the luck required to find a lady that would go out with him. Naruto was as inexperienced as they came. He had long gotten over his crush on Sakura. He liked women; he just didn't have the time for them at this point in his life. Being busy didn't stop him from noticing them though. So he had gotten the courage to ask the girl that was standing in front of him for her name. He had been shocked nearly to death when she, in the deepest voice he had ever heard, even for a man, had replied "I'm Ryoji. Thanks cutie, do you want to get out of here?" Taken by surprise, Naruto had done the fastest thing that had come to mind, and bolted out of there, dragging Sai by his collar.

And now, that he was looking forward to going home and getting some needed rest, Kakashi's orders be damned, he was standing outside a building that from the outside, appeared like it was a strip club or something. _What's with the illuminated, candy-like flashy sign? _"Oiii, what the hell are we doing here Sai! You said we would be meeting Kakashi , why would he be at this strange place?" _Ok, I take that back. This is exactly the kind of place Kakashi would probably frequent if given the chance._

Sai only gave him one of his fake smiles, and suspiciously waited around for some time, appearing to waste time, before he decided it was a good time to step in. _Well, this is as long as I can hold him off for. I hope everything is ready, my duty has come to an end. _

As the pair made their way inside, the person who could only be a receptionist, walked them to another door, and told them they could go in. Naruto gave Sai a weary look. He opened the door, and was greeted by the switch of a light, accompanied by a loud "Surprise!" uttered by a crowd made up of his very own close friends. "Minna! What is everyone doing here?! Aren't you all supposed to be out on a mission?" "Kakashi-sensei! What is this all about?" Naruto turned his head from left to right, surprised that all his friends seemed to be present. There was a large disco light in the center of the room, and tables set up in one corner, housing refreshments and all sorts of delicious looking foods! Round tables filled the room, and there appeared to be one of Konoha's up and coming music groups set up on a stage to the left. Everyone was crowding at the front; Kakashi and Sakura leading the group. Tsunade, who had emerged from somewhere behind the crowd, silenced everybody and came forward.

"Naruto. We are so glad you are finally here. It has been a few weeks now since you lent your powers to the village, and helped us all put an end to Madara's evil plan. It hasn't gone past us, that you are the only person in your generation that is still at the rank of a genin." At that, Naruto prepared to retort, but Tsunade shushed him, and continued, "Wait till I finish, brat. We are aware that your abilities rival some of the most talented ninjas in our village. And for that, we are gathered here; I am given the power to allow you to rise to the rank of a Jounin. For your hard effort and contribution to the war against Madara." With that, Tsunade ended her speech, and everyone began cheering and congratulating him on a job well done. Naruto couldn't believe it. He was now a Jounin? Last time he was in the village, he had felt so left out being the only Genin of the rookie 9. In a way, to him, his rank didn't matter because it was new abilities and techniques that he was most interested in learning. But he wasn't a fool, and he was aware that missions were assigned based on ranks. For that reason, for individual assignments, Tsunade rarely gave him a mission above a B rank. He was excited that his abilities were finally being recognized and that he would finally get the chance to go on new missions and be in the same level as his other friends.

"Baa-chan! You finally realized how great I am didn't you? Well don't worry, I can take on triple the number of missions from now on no problem! I won't let you down! You just wait and see!" He squared his shoulders and let out a boisterous laugh; throwing off a peace sign and lightening the mood in the room immediately. Kiba ran to his side, and patted him on his shoulders.

"Congratulations Naruto. You are no longer a novice. Nice! Let's get this party started everyone!" With that, the band started playing some music, and everyone started going off and doing their own thing. Chouji was the first to reach the tables holding the food, followed by Shino and and Lee. Ino was having some sort of argument with Shikamaru, and he could see Kiba trying to persuade a few others to go over to the open bar and have some drinks with him.

Sakura came over to him a bit timidly, and congratulated him for his promotion. "Naruto, I know that I haven't been a very good friend to you lately. I just want to say that I am sorry, and that we should start over again. I know that it wasn't easy for you to make the decision you made, and I'm sorry to bring it up now, but you must have your reasons, and when you are ready to talk about it, know that I am here to listen." She smiled at him a bit sheepishly, but that was all Naruto needed to bring his mood all the way to the top.

"Thanks Sakura-chan! I really missed talking with you too. You are a very important person to me and I knew we wouldn't be like this for long! I'm sorry too for upsetting you, and I am happy that we are finally talking again! Come here; let me give you a hug!" As Naruto tried reaching over, Sakura smacked him up-side the head and gave him one of her scary signature glares.

"Don't push it Naruto. I missed you too, but giving you a hug is a bit much, ne?" She jokingly punched his arm, and he winced at the force of it. Sakura was too strong for her own good he thought. No woman should ever have that kind of power. It was scary!

Naruto looked up ahead, and could see Gai-sensei pestering _his_ sensei; something about the everlasting power of youth and how everyone should re-live their teenage years and let loose a little. _Crazy senseis'. I guess for today I should just forget about the mission and have some fun. It isn't very often that everyone gets together like this. Even our senseis' are here._

Everyone seemed to be in a jolly mood. Everyone was eating and laughing, and a couple were out in the dance floor trying their moves. "Gaara! I'm surprised you could come! I hadn't seen you until now!" The redhead was making his way from across a corner, followed by his siblings Kankuro and Temari. Temari nodded her head in acknowledgement, as did Kankuro, and he could see her eyes trailing off to the side, no doubt eyeing Shikamaru over there, where he was sitting on a couch looking up at the ceiling as Ino was blabbering about something.

"It is nice to see that the people of this village are finally recognizing you Naruto. I knew you would be able to achieve it; you have a way of proving yourself to even the hardest of people." Gaara looked sincere in his remark, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed about being complemented like that, by Gaara of all people.

"Geez Gaara, you think too highly of me you know! But I won't stop until I become a Kage just like you, you know it!" Naruto fist pumped the air, and Gaara continued smiling. Gaara and Naruto had become much closer after Naruto came to his rescue from Akatsuki. Gaara was deeply grateful for having a friend like Naruto that had shown him how a true shinobi should live. If friends were the source of true strength, then Naruto was his greatest tool for power.

"Naruto! Come over here, we are going to play a drinking game! Everyone has to join! It's for your promotion!" yelled Lee.

_Well, it IS my first free day in a year; I might as well enjoy this night to the fullest. _He made his way near the open bar, where someone had pushed some long tables together and a full set of cards lay facing downwards.

"The rules are simple. Everyone has a cup full of sake that they must have with them at all times. We each take turns picking a card from the table and flipping it over. Mixed in this deck are cards that are red and blue. The people that draw blue cards are safe, and the ones that draw red cards have to take a sip of their sake. This game ends when all cards have been drawn. You lose when you are the first one to have no more of your drink left, or somebody notices that you aren't drinking your share. Rules are rules. The loser has to take a penalty from the person that draws the last card. Everyone understand?" Lee looked very proud of himself, as if he had just come up with the greatest invention ever. Naruto had to give it to him, for an idea that had sprung up out of the blue, it wasn't half bad. Well whatever, he would do everything to win this game. He was good at coming up with punishments; he couldn't wait to be the one to get someone to do something terrible _hehehe_

"Naruto you start since this is your party!" Sakura declared. Everyone gathered closer to the table, and took the cup of sake handed out by Tenten. Neji didn't look very happy about being dragged in to all this, but he was participating nonetheless. Hinata was timidly sitting next to Kiba at the edge of the table, a deep blush tinting her face. Naruto noticed that the teachers weren't participating in this game, and that most had gone off, probably deciding to leave the younglings to their own devices. The only senseis' he could see now were Gai and Kakashi. They looked like they were competing to see who could out drink the other. Not a very smart idea he thought to himself. He could see that Kakashi was grinning under that mask of his. Gai looked extra creepy drunk; he was extra flashy in his movements and was barking loudly. Naruto drew the first card, and with that the game begun.

Everyone was really enjoying themselves. Now that the game had picked up and the booze had settled with everyone, people were once again laughing and making jokes with each other. The only people in the room besides the older ninja that were good at handling their alcohol was obviously Neji and Gaara. Both seemed unaffected by it, and weren't inhibited like the rest were. Hinata had brightened and let lose a little more, she was actually talking with Ino. Lee, the only one not allowed to drink for his episodes, didn't need to drink to act crazy. Fuzzy eyebrows was in a league of his own, he always acted like he was drunk. Temari was inching closer and closer to Shikamaru, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the lazy shinobi. Shikamaru didn't seem to mind much, but he was pretending as if he didn't notice. Sai was budging Sakura on the shoulder. It was her turn and she hadn't noticed yet. It was the last card too, so she would be the one to come up with a punishment. Once everyone had noticed, everyone started to look around. And to everyone's astonishment, two people had already finished their drink. Neji and Temari both had empty cups, and since nobody had paid attention, there was no way to tell who had finished first.

"Hey! You are supposed to say when you finish your drink!" Naruto exclaimed. "What happens when there are two losers?" Naruto's was feeling a little giddy, not used to the alcohol. He was having too much fun with this; he just wanted to be the one to dish out a punishment.

"It's simple. Then both people get punished. I didn't say that you HAD to declare when your cup is empty, only that people have to look around to make sure nobody's cup is empty or faking their drinking. Not announcing it is fair game. Sakura, you can order these two to do whatever you want." Lee had a sneaky look on his face, like he had just come up with that rule on the spot. Whatever, it was a good idea having more than one loser in the game.

Sakura looked like she couldn't come up with anything. After a few minutes, Ino whispered something in her ear. Both girls were giggling, and Neji didn't look very happy about losing after all. He had kept a straight face when everyone noticed he had an empty cup, muttering that this was a stupid game anyway; who cares if he lost a measly card game.

Temari on the other hand, looked like she didn't care that she had lost. She was honestly far too drunk to care. All she cared about was the shadow ninja next to her. She had been trying to advance on him all night, and he hadn't complained yet. Maybe she had a chance with him; she would just need to keep on trying.

Sakura cleared her throat, and looked Neji straight in the eyes. Neji didn't seem to fidget, although Tenten could tell that he was a little apprehensive at having heard the evil plotting of the two girls. "Neji, I want you to walk over across to Temari, confess your love for her in a way you would confess to a girl you like. Temari, you are to stare into his eyes and hug him back!"

"WHAAAT!" Both Neji and Temari exclaimed. Neji a bit controlled and incredulous, but he had raised his voice nonetheless.

"I am not doing this," scoffed Temari. I quit the game. She crossed her arms and shrugged. She looked at Shikamaru, and her resolution faded. It's not like he had looked happy the entire time they were here, but he had a disapproving look on his face.

"Don't be a sore loser," was all Shikamaru said. With that, Neji's look hardened, and he let out a long sigh.

"This is stupid. It is only a game; it says nothing about honor if we don't follow through until the end." He said this with a superior air, and honestly, he didn't care what anybody said. After all, even though he loved to win, he wasn't obsessive and competitive like Naruto and Sasuke tended to be. Yes, he loved winning, but he only dedicated himself to things that were important. This game was not at the top of his priority list in the least.

"Come on Neji, don't be like this! Ok, new rule, if you back out of the game, you have to take five shots of Tequila, one after the other! We have all had our fair share of drinks; is that something you can handle Neji?" Lee thought he might have gotten through to him. Neji, as strong as he appeared on the outside, cringed inside at having to chug five shots. That was an unreasonable offer, and not one that he wanted to partake in at the moment. _Screw me, this is insane. The alcohol I have had up until now is for sure affecting me now that I am even considering going through with this…I am sure to regret this in the morning…but here it goes…_

Everyone in the room went quiet. Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei seemed to have inched closer to the group, intrigued about the events that were unfolding. Neji cleared his throat, and looked Temari straight in the face. Temari, at the look she was given, sobered up a bit. _Oh my god, he is truly going to do this. It doesn't help that he looks so irresistible with those intense white eyes of his…Why do I seem to have a thing for Konoha ninja? _She trailed her eyes down to his lips as he was moving them. She quickly returned to reality and listened closely.

_Nobody said I had to make this long. I will just do it quickly and get this over with. _"Temari…I could not help but take notice of you. You are a worthy woman of my attention, I ask that you accept my feelings and hopefully return them as strongly as mine…" Neji didn't flinch, and kept a straight face as he uttered his confession.

The guys all stared open mouthed and Ino and Sakura "awwwed." _That sneaky bastard, that was really good, _Naruto thought_. I must be the only one here that has no clue when it comes to girls. Great.  
_

Temari, a little taken aback by the "confession" didn't have to think twice before closing the distance and hugging him. Neji stiffened, but allowed Temari to cling on to him until she was done. Temari, that was now a little more sobered up from hugging Neji, was a little turned on. _I definitely need to make a move on Shikamaru. Hugging Neji has made me feel a bit more daring tonight!_

Everyone was laughing and patted Neji on the back. The men were very impressed with Neji and Tenten secretly felt annoyed at Temari for having hugged him. "Kids settle down," Kakashi chirped. "Is this even an appropriate game to play? Wouldn't want some of the boys here to get the wrong idea, now would we?" He glanced at where Kiba was sitting eyeing all the girls shamelessly, and finally laid his eyes on Naruto. Kakashi seemed a bit drunk himself. You couldn't see his face because of the mask, but if it was even possible, his one eye looked like it was drooping even more than usual.

"Come on mate, let the kids have their fun. Allow us to join this one game lads! Let us revisit our days of youth!" Everyone but Lee groaned at that.

_Kakashi sensei is going to join us? This will be great if he loses the game! I can think of plenty of things I can make that sleazy ninja do if he lost. "_One last game! It is not likely that Old Granny will give us another free day tomorrow, so lets have Gai sensei and Kakashi sensei join this game; it should make things a bit more interesting!" Naruto snickered in his head, thinking of things he could make his sensei do. At this point he was already buzzing hard, and he had a few perverted things in mind he just knew his sensei would thank him for.

The hours went by unnoticed; it was already four am in the morning, and some ninja were already starting to feel the effects of a crashing buzz. Shikamaru didn't care who lost anymore; as interested as he had become at playing this game, he had become too tired to even pay attention to Temari's continued advances. _Troublesome, now I have to think of a way to let her off easy. I may be a genius, but I can't seem to ever figure a woman out. _

Naruto had make sure to keep a look on Kakashi's cup. He was intent on making his sensei lose, and nobody else really seemed to be paying too much attention to the game. The instant the last drop was sipped from his cup, he called him out on it. _YES! Now I just have to make the suggestion to the winner of the game, and Kakashi will be at my mercy! I'll make him pay for everything he has ever put our Team through! _

Kakashi made a groaning sound, not very happy that he had lost the game. _Damn Naruto, you had to go and do it didn't you. _He could tell Naruto was very drunk at this point; he kept on slurring and he wasn't making much sense at times. He watched as Naruto went over to Kiba, who had won the game. Everyone seemed to have regained awareness and were paying attention to what Kakashi would be forced to do. Naruto whispered to Kiba, "Hey, make Kakashi grope one of the girls here. That'll be hilarious!"

Kiba laughed at that. But no matter how drunk he was, he didn't think that would be appropriate. _A teacher groping a female student?_ Well, some of the shinobi here were over 18 now; among the girls, Tenten and Temari. But Kiba had an even better idea. Why not make Kakashi grope one of the guys? Make him shudder a bit! Even better, make him do something terrible to Naruto! He was very evil; he'd just had a great idea.

"I'm sorry to dare you to do this, but this is just a game and I am the winner. What am I saying, I am not sorry! You have to slow dance with Naruto for the entirety of the next song that comes up!" Kiba along with the rest of the room laughed at that. Kakashi deadpanned, and Naruto screeched so loud he had half the room covering their ears.

"Are you kidding me! There is no way I am dancing with that pervert! Kakashi-sensei, tell them that it can't be done. It's too weird!" Naruto couldn't believe this had all turned back to bite him in the ass; he had pointed out Kakashi's loss, but now he was being punished as well.

"Well Naruto, rules are rules. I could sit here all night, but I'd rather get home to my comfy bed and rest before our next mission. So…" He made his way across to Naruto, and rested his left hand on Naruto's hip. Naruto pushed him off, and scowled. But the next song had already started, and everyone was cheering them on. Sakura had this crazed fan girl look on her face; what did that even mean? Naruto felt Kakashi's right hand make a grab for his, and he stared into Kakashi's eye. He was doing that eye smile of his, and he thought, _What the heck, he is only my teacher. He won't bite._

The band was playing an appropriate song for the dance, and Naruto couldn't continue meeting Kakashi's eyes. It was so awkward! He didn't want to be dancing with another guy, his sensei nonetheless! It felt weird, and his mind kept drifting to the hand on his waist. As Kakashi lead the dance, the hand would alter in pressure, and it was starting to make him very conscious of it. Being this close to someone and being held, even if it was a dance, felt really nice. He wished he were dancing with a girl, but at least he was getting practice for when he'd be doing this with a girlfriend. Just as the song was ending, his face accidentally brushed against Kakashi's, and he could hear his soft breath muffled by his mask. "You did good, Naruto. I enjoyed that." His eye twinkled with a devilish gleam that was only meant to tease him, but Naruto had shivered at the feel of Kakashi's face against him. _He enjoyed that? Gahhh Kakashi is so weird! Time to call it a night. _

Shikamaru looked pensively at Naruto. He couldn't quite place it; it must be because they were all drunk, but was it just him, or had Naruto leaned a little too much into Kakashi's arms, even if it was just a dance? _Everyone has had a bit too much to drink. Naruto will be alright. I'll tell Kakashi to make sure he gets home alright. _

Everyone was out the door within minutes. It was nearly 5 am in the morning now, and nobody was looking up to being woken up in the morning by their hawks if there was to be a mission. Everyone made their separate ways, with a few exceptions. Neji seemed like he would be escorting Hinata home. The poor girl, all night had appeared like she had wanted to approach Naruto and talk to him, but she had never gained the courage to. She had only managed to socialize with the girls at the salon. Temari seemed to be stalking Shikamaru home; the impression on his face was priceless, clearly expressing that he wasn't sure what to make of it. Sai had volunteered to walk Sakura home, seeing as she was also a little tipsy.

Kakashi and him were now walking side by side towards his home. He felt a bit out of sorts, having just slow danced with Kakashi. Kakashi didn't look like he had minded any of it. Humming a bit to himself, the pair walked. Naruto was lost in thought. He couldn't brush off the feeling of another person pressed flush against him. When they had been dancing, he had felt Kakashi's well-formed body. _My hormones are going out of whack. I need to meet a girl soon so I can stop having these strange thoughts!_

It wasn't that he was checking Kakashi out now, it was more like he was comparing himself to him. Those long strong legs of his; he was taller than Naruto even after his growth spurt, and Naruto always felt a bit inferior looking up at him. Probably because Kakashi always looked down on him in a sort of mocking way, more playful than teasing he supposed, but it made him uncomfortable at times. Kakashi's black long sleeved shirt clung tightly against his chest, and he was watching his muscles ripple under the shirt as they walked along. Naruto was only thinking about how he wished when he was older, he could be as cool as Kakashi-sensei. His thoughts came to a stop as they reached his place. He turned towards Kakashi, and quickly thanked him for making sure he made it all the way home. As Kakashi turned around, about to disappear, Naruto without thinking, confessed a little sheepishly, "Sensei, wait. Can you help me up the stairs, I'm not sure I can feel my legs…" Kakashi sighed, and swung Naruto's arm over his shoulder. And with that, pulled the blonde inside his home.

**End Chapter 3.**

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note.**

So…back to a longer chapter again. What do you all prefer? Longer or shorter? I don't think I will be able to keep updating every day, but because I am a new writer, I am enjoying writing and have been doing so everyday so far : D If you want, let me know what is easier to read, longer or shorter. Because I can hold off a posting until I got something longer written down. It's up to you really.

So there you have it. Naruto is now a Jounin and had a badass party! I tried to make it kind of interesting, could have gone into more detail there but then again I wanted to write about Naruto more and what would happen after he gets drunk! Don't know if this is what is considered a cliff hanger, but something might happen in there, just a bit of a hint! Haha See you guys in the next chapter. Hope you liked : ) Review if even just to say hi, I don't bite!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

Let me first thank my reviewers! I'm so glad that there are several of you out there that are reading and actually enjoying my story! I'm an angst whore, and this story will have its angsty scenes. I got a review from a guest that told me since I mention in my summary this story is eventual Narukaka, that I should move it to the Kakashi x Naruto pairing section. There is a reason this story is here guys! I myself don't know for sure who the final couple will be! Isn't that the funnest part of a story? The unknown? I know that when I read a story like this, I am always hoping for what I want to happen and for the main character to end up with so and so. Well, this is in the beginning stages. So as the story progresses, I will be open to suggestions. Maybe even have a poll to see who should end up with who. Or go with my gut feeling. Whatever the case, there will be more narusasu scenes in this even if I stated this would be eventual narukaka. I LOVE narusasu and for sure there will be tons of that in the future too. So stay tuned : )

**Torn Heart  
Chapter 4**

Kakashi had just settled the blonde on his bed upstairs. Naruto no longer lived in the small apartment the village had designated for him when he was a kid. Since becoming a hero in the village for defeating Pain, the villagers had made sure to pressure the Hokage and in turn the council into giving Naruto the liberty of choosing where he would live. His previous apartment had been too small even for one person. It was like a tiny studio; only his bed fit in a room that was not only a bedroom, but his living room and kitchen as well. Kakashi could remember watching outside his window when the blonde had first come under his care, and thinking what sad conditions the poor kid was made to live under. At the time, the village was under strict orders to never disclose the reason the blonde was treated like such an outcast. Although most higher ups of the shinobis had no problem with Naruto, the Hokage at the time had been unable to get rid of the hate the villagers harbored for the blonde. And for that reason the council had decided where they would secure the Kyuubi vessel and how he would observed.

Kakashi was glad that Naruto had changed the outlook the villagers had of him. His new apartment was larger; a one bedroom apartment, with a kitchen and dining space apart from the bedroom. Naruto lived on a two story apartment complex, and his happened to be on the second floor. As he had entered the living space, he had glanced around and noticed a nicely, well-kept home. He could see a tinge of female décor the way some of his furniture had been arranged, no doubt Sakura's doing. The blonde's room displayed more of his style, the bed was covered by an orange comforter, and there was a lack of ornaments lining the walls. On a small desk located under a window, he could see a photo of the new Kakashi/Yamato team. In this photo, both captains were present along with Naruto, Sakura and Sai. Another photo lay face down on the desk. He wondered if that was the photo of the former Team Seven. The one with Sasuke in it. Kakashi sat Naruto up on his bed, and asked if he needed anything else before he took off. Naruto made a grab for his arm, and held on to his long sleeved shirt, mumbling a bit inaudibly.

"Water, please," was the best he could make out. He looked Naruto over and noticed he did look a bit dehydrated. _That's what happens when you drink more than you are accustomed to_, he thought as he made his way to the kitchen. He spent some time going through Naruto's cupboards, trying to see where the blonde kept his cups. Once he had found them, he filled the cup with water from the sink, and turned around to find Naruto had stepped out of his bedroom and was making his way to the couch.

"Naruto, if you don't want to feel like you've been to hell and back, I would go back inside your room and get some sleep." He had meant to say this as an adult lecturing a child, but he had let a bit of sympathy show in his voice, and decided he'd give Naruto a break. _It was his promotion to Jounin party after all. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to not lecture him this once. _Kakashi sat next to the blonde on the couch, and handed him the water. Naruto gladly took it and sipped it slowly. Looking at Naruto again a bit more closely, his gaze appeared hazy. He didn't look like he was in there all the way.

"Mah, Naruto. You are going to fall asleep out here. I am going to make my leave now. I will help you to your room if you need me to." He normally wasn't this caring of his students. They were grown ups now, and they didn't need a baby sitter anymore. He did remember when he had been first introduced to alcohol at the young age of 13. He had been an anbu then, so it wasn't unusual that he had experienced many things at a young age. He could sympathize with Naruto; hangovers were a no-no, and he'd just make sure the blonde was settled before he left his home.

Naruto was wearing a strange expression on his face now. His eyes were half lidded and he was trying to mumble something again. He scooted closer to Kakashi, and attempted to pull him closer by yanking him by the arm. "Hey, Naruto what are you doing? You do know I am right here right?" He allowed the blonde's hand to remain grabbing his, but he stared a little wearily unsure of what the blonde was going to do next. He had thought the blonde was past the stage of being affected by the alcohol, but apparently some of his senses were still being impaired. He was surprised when Naruto suddenly pulled him even closer and brushed his lips against his mask. He stood still for a fraction of a second, shocked that Naruto had just actually pulled him into a kiss! Thinking that the blonde must be miles away right now and obviously having him confused for someone else, he decided to gently push against him and try to convince him to let him go. Naruto wouldn't have any of it, and he wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him on top of him as he leaned back to lay on the couch. He had a strong hold around his neck, forcing his face against the blonde's chest. He thought he heard the blonde say something and he tried concentrating harder to make out what he was saying. "Sa..suke…" This time he had heard it for sure! Naruto had whispered his old teammate's name. That was odd, did Naruto think he was with Sasuke at this time? That was impossible, Sasuke hadn't been back in the village for more than 4 years now.

Kakashi was increasingly beginning to feel that he was finding out more about his student than he wanted to know. He was still being held strongly on top of him, and every time he had tried to resist, the blonde would let out a small growl warning him to stop. _Okay, Naruto is obviously in some sort of drunken trance. I'll just pretend to go along with this so that he will stand up and let me take him to his room. Once I've got him to his bed, I'll disappear before he notices I am even gone. _He tried turning his head to the other side to face away from the side of the couch, and told Naruto to, "Let's continue this in the other room." Naruto only made a soft moaning sound to that, and he tried untangling himself, this time, facing no resistance. The blonde had allowed him to stand up, but hadn't let go of his neck. So he had a blonde latching on to him by the neck, and was walking with Naruto hanging off his front. _How did I get myself in this situation again? Oh, right, I accepted this responsibility as his teacher. I'm sure he won't remember this in the morning. I sure won't be the one to enlighten him. I will spare us both the embarrassment. _

As Kakashi settled Naruto back on the bed for the second time that morning, Naruto, feeling that Kakashi had started pulling away, groaned louder and wrapped his legs around his midsection, trying to secure him on top of him once again. Kakashi acting quickly, grabbed one of Naruto's thighs and turned himself to the side, now facing Naruto on the bed instead of being directly on top of him. Naruto still had that glazed over look in his eyes, and placed one of his hands to the side of Kakashi's face. Naruto was toying with the mask, and this is when Kakashi thought Naruto should know who he was with. Naruto snickered a little and in a tone that was low and meant to be seductive Kakashi thought, he had stated, "I want to see you without this mask on."

So Naruto knew that he was messing with Kakashi? Since when did his student act this forward with him? Kakashi knew it was because of the alcohol. Naruto had never come onto him like this before. Alcohol did this to people; it broke through barriers and even completely took over people, just like Naruto was obviously being taken over now. Kakashi briefly wondered if Naruto had ever done this before. Come on to someone like this. He honestly couldn't imagine the blonde being this seductive with someone. He didn't think the blonde had much confidence when it came to women. _But I am not a woman. Naruto has always shown interest in women, maybe he is having a crazy dream and I just happen to be in the center of it. _

Kakashi decided that enough was enough, and he needed to remove himself from this situation. He was about to forcefully shove himself from Naruto's hold, but stopped when he felt an arm reach for the zipper of his pants. He froze, not believing what Naruto was doing! He had been so shocked that in the one second Naruto had gotten his hand on his zipper, his pants had been pulled all the way down, and Naruto had grabbed a hold of his limp member! Kakashi pushed against Naruto, very unsettled that things had gone this far. Naruto's expression had changed into more of a determined one, and he was growling deep in his throat. Naruto bit him hard on the neck, and tried pumping his dick at a rapid pace. Kakashi moaned a little, liking having that hand rub against the head of his penis.

_Mmmm, I can't let this happen. Naruto is not in his right mind, and he will blame me if anything beyond this happened. But this feels good. It's been a while since I've had a release. Is Naruto actually doing this because he knows it's me? _Kakashi panted, searching Naruto's face, trying to find the will to make this stop.

Kakashi wasn't sober either; he and Gai sensei had competed most of the night to outdrink each other. And he had lost count of how many shots he had taken that night after shot number twelve. He was an experienced adult, at 30 years young. He knew how to handle his alcohol; so this was definitely not an excuse he could use to justify that he was still allowing this to happen. But he could say, that he wasn't able to take control of the situation right away because he had been a bit impaired himself.

Naruto was moaning as he stroked Kakashi's now very erect member, and he was trying to kiss him through his mask. He could feel Naruto's lips against his, and the hot breath seeping through the cloth. Naruto reached to the side of his face, and attempted to remove his mask again. The room was dark, and he was sure Naruto wouldn't be able to look at his face. He didn't make a move to stop Naruto, and his mask slipped off, exposing his face to the air. Naruto, eager the impediment was gone, pressed his lips against Kakashi. Kakashi wondered if what he was doing was wrong. Naruto was barely 17 years old, his birthday a few months off. He was 13 years older than him, and no doubt was much more experienced than this blonde was. Naruto appeared to be led by instinct, but he highly doubted he had done this with anyone before. Naruto was moving his lips desperately against his, and he started to feel a tingle in the pit of his stomach as the kiss deepened. He allowed his own tongue to roam Naruto's mouth, curious at the taste. Naruto's mouth was bitter from the alcohol, but he also had a distinct taste; a bit sweet. _Interesting combination, I wonder what he would taste like without the tinge of alcohol in his mouth. _

Kakashi placed his left arm behind the blue eyed teen's lower back, and pressed him against himself. Up until now, Naruto had been fondling his cock. He was really horny now, but he didn't know how much further they could take this. He had stopped Naruto's hand movement by pressing his front against the blondes. And he felt Naruto's clothed hardness rub his. He decided that he couldn't allow Naruto to keep doing this to him. It was bound to be something both would regret. But Naruto had stood up on his knees, and moved downward to engulf his dick in his mouth. Kakashi moaned loudly at that, and let Naruto give him a few more licks. There was no way they would do any fucking tonight. He would never take advantage of the blonde like that. But for now, because they were both turned on and had already felt each other's dicks, he decided that he would only go as far as blowing the blond. He momentarily pushed the blonde to the side of him, and turned himself upside down facing the other end of the room. He was still under Naruto, but this time, instead of facing Naruto's face, he was faced with Naruto's lower regions. He hurriedly opened his pants and pushed them down. Naruto's dick was already hanging out from his boxers. His erect penis was gleaming with precum, and that was all he needed to engulf Naruto's dick in his mouth. He didn't have to tell the blonde to do the same to him; Naruto was proving to be a natural at this. So they sucked at each other for a few moments longer, Kakashi groaning a bit here and there every time Naruto would change the force of his suction. Naruto seemed to be concentrating hard, and was bucking really hard against Kakashi's mouth. He made a long thrust and moaned repeatedly for a few seconds, and he came into Kakashi's mouth. Kakashi, excited at hearing the blonde cum so strongly, tried bucking his dick faster into the blonde's mouth on top of him. He was very close, and he came when he felt the blonde's hand accidentally touch the region inbetween his balls and asshole.

They both laid there, panting hard. Kakashi was wondering if he should get out of there. Should he just leave the blonde and see if he remembered what had happened the next time they saw each other? That would make for one awkward encounter. Or should he stay until the blonde regained his senses? If the blonde remembered everything the next morning and didn't find him there, he might be very angry that he had left. The blonde appeared to have dozed off. And Kakashi, deciding that what had happened here tonight was best left forgotten, especially since they had a very important mission coming up that required the cooperation of the entire team, pulled up his pants and stood up from the bed. He gave Naruto one last glance over. He was laying on his back, chest rising and falling slowly. He looked around for any evidence that he could have left, and covered his student with a blanket he found on the floor. _Whether you remember this or not, I will take responsibility for this. I won't forget…_

With that, he disappeared, leaving an unaware blonde to slumber in peace.

**The end  
To be continued…**

I know, shorter chapter. But it was a lemon! Hope it seemed a believable account of events. Naruto was in that drunk like state where he was half there and half not. Who knows if he will remember what happened in the morning! Kakashi knew he shouldn't really do this with Naruto, but Naruto seemed to know it was him so that was the push that he needed to explore this. Kakashi was drunk too guys, even teachers have their moments. Hope you sasunaru fans at least were okay with this. Naruto did mutter Sasuke's name once when he was with Kakashi! Tell me your thoughts, I like reviews pretty plz~


	5. Chapter 5

**Torn Heart  
Chapter 5**

Light peaked through the sole window in the room as the sun highlighted midday. Up until 5 minutes ago, Naruto had been snoring loudly, but now he was groaning in pain as a killer headache wreaked havoc in his head. He struggled to get out of bed and had to hang on to the wall for support as he made his way to the kitchen. Pouring himself a glass of water, he rummaged through his mind for the memory of last night's events.

_How did I get home? I can't believe I even made it back after drinking so much last night. _He groaned. He wasn't going to be drinking any alcohol any time soon.

Naruto wasn't a drinker, and most certainly wasn't one to succumb to peer pressure, but last night had been a special occasion and he had gotten carried away. He smiled when he remembered what the cause of celebration had been. He had worked so hard; always pushed himself to the limit, and finally things were starting to pay off. If he continued in this path, then he would become Hokage in no time! Old-Granny Tsunade was becoming too old for the job, and it was common knowledge that it was time to start looking for a Rokudaime. Naruto would be damned if he wasn't at least considered as a prospective candidate.

Switching his mind back to last night, he couldn't remember what had happened after he had been forced to dance with his perverted sensei. He flushed at the memory. _Aghh, I can't believe we had to do that! Damn that Kiba I will get him next time! Now Sakura-chan will never look at me the same way again! _Little did Naruto know that it was just the opposite. Sakura would enjoy that memory for nights to come.

Naruto downed his glass of water and went to get dressed. He remembered Kakashi had wanted to speak to him about a mission and he needed to find Sai first so they wouldn't waste any time. He made his way back to his bedroom and proceeded to change clothes. As he discarded his dirty clothes on the bed, he noticed a weird spot on his bed cover.

_That's strange, I don't bring food in the room. What are these white stains in the middle of my bed? _He racked his memory but came out empty. It was really starting to bother him that he had no recollection of what had happened after he left the party.

_Hopefully I didn't do anything stupid and went straight home. I'll have to ask Kakashi-sensei about it since he is the last person I remember speaking to last night. _

Naruto quickly threw back some pain killers and left his apartment in search for his teammate. He found that Team 7 was already gathered at their usual meeting spot and that for once Kakashi wasn't the last to arrive.

"So nice that you have decided to join us Naruto; we were almost worried something had happened," Kakashi said nonchalantly without peering from behind his book.

"Naruto you are here! Are you feeling alright? We were going to let you sleep in this morning. You know, it was partly our fault that you had so much to drink," Sakura said guilty.

She smiled at his reassuring look, worry ebbing away now that she could see he was fine. She hoped her nervousness wasn't showing through. She was thinking of a way to cover up the fact that they were gathered here without his knowledge. They hadn't intended for Naruto to have shown up just yet, but he was going to have to find out sooner or later. The mission assigned to them would commence in less than 3 days, and they needed to strategize and get their emotions under control before then in order to set off. She had been present along with Yamato senpai when Tsunade had assigned the mission and had explained the terms and risks involved. Kakashi had since clued Sai in, and Nauto was the only one left to enlighten. She had no idea how Naruto would react to being assigned a mission that would no doubt risk an encounter with Sasuke.

Kakashi, who had been skimming his green book since Naruto's arrival, noted the impatient look that had settled in Naruto's face, as well as the uneasy look Sakura was trying to conceal, and decided it was time to make his speech.

"Well…Now that everyone is here. I will explain the details of this mission. Naruto, we all can anticipate how strongly you might react to this, but try to remember that a mission comes first, and that there is no room for error." He gave Naruto a leveled look, and tried to appear very serious.

Not being one to beat around the bush, he went straight to the point. "Tsunade has received information on the whereabouts of two S-rank criminals that we need to capture. They were last spotted in a village 20 miles from the location where the final battle with Madara took place. Juugo and Suigetsu are their names. As you can already guess, all of Orochimaru's hideouts that our village has scouted have been thoroughly inspected and vacated. The last hideout that was discovered contained endless numbers of forbidden scrolls no doubt stored there for safekeeping. A particular scroll of interest stolen decades ago from Konoha was identified among the many scrolls. Thought to have been secured, as the scout team was inspecting the rest of the hideout, our two targets broke through the wall of the hideout and made out with the scroll. One of our elite ninja recognized our targets and from the descriptions in some reports, it is very likely that those two are traveling as part of Sasuke's team."

Kakashi watched as Naruto stiffened at the mention of his old teammate. He waited a few seconds for an outburst that never came. Instead, Naruto remained silent, head tilted down. He couldn't see the expression marring his face, but he could guess it wasn't a happy one.

Sakura was the first to break the silence, prompting Kakashi to continue. Kakashi went on to discuss the plan and give everyone detailed information about the two rougue ninja. He knew that Sakura, as much as she was trying to hide her excitement at this opportunity, had somewhat of a strained relationship with Naruto and did not want to give her emotions away. Nobody knew what had happened between Naruto and Sasuke last time they met, but Kakashi, as much as he wished he could believe that there was a sliver of hope in saving Sasuke, thought it was for the best that Naruto quit his obsessive hunt for him. Of course, now that Naruto had quit chasing after him, they were assigned this mission. Go figure.

Kakashi dismissed them all. Yamato was to train with Sakura and Sai in the evening and the following day to ensure they were ready for the mission. The third day was strictly reserved for rest. They would be traveling at dawn and he needed everyone to be alert and in top shape so they could make the trip with minimal stops.

Kakashi took it upon himself to look after Naruto. Maybe that way he could find out what was truly bothering him. He had about an hour to go until he had to be at the training grounds. Or better said, he had an hour before he went beyond what was accepted as fashionably late. He knew Naruto would be arriving there any moment now, but it would be very unlike him to show up on time.

He had been occupied without breaks since the night of Naruto's party, and he'd yet to go over the events of that night in his mind. He'd initially felt guilty and embarrassed even, having shared a far too intimate moment with Naruto. Naruto had appeared so care free that night, and that had caused something inside of him to ache and come alive. Something about Naruto's desperate pleas had allowed him to throw caution to the wind and let his newfound feelings guide him.

He wasn't as shocked that he had done things with a man as much as he was surprised that it was with his student. Even though he'd never thought about doing things with a man before, he wasn't entirely opposed to it. He didn't think he would have looked at things the same way now if he hadn't actually experimented with a guy, but it hadn't sucked, and he'd actually gotten a rush from it.

Naruto had really grown into himself; he was adored by the village, and he was built like any active ninja should be. He knew that Naruto had acquired hundreds of admirers and was one of the most popular ninjas not only in Konoha, but through-out the allied nations as well. He also knew that Naruto's main focus was in his training, and he'd never seen him out on dates with other girls. Which lead him to believe that he'd done a very bad thing in maybe stealing a memorable moment that should have been shared with someone else. Whatever the case, he'd spent one pleasurable night with his student, and it didn't have to be anything more. Judging from Naruto's behavior earlier, he didn't seem like he remembered anything. Not that Kakashi expected him to; all the delirious mumbling he'd done the night before almost assured him of that.

Finally having the chance to analyze things and pushing the issue to the darkest corner of his mind, he met up with Naruto and received an annoyed glance in return.

"Would it hurt to arrive on time for once?" Naruto crossed his arms and turned his back to him to further show his disapproval.

The glare soon dissipated as Kakashi revealed his sharingan from the get-go.

"A family of young raccoons needed help getting crossing over a…" Naruto without warning rushed him; interrupting him, seemingly eager to begin this training.

"Hold up. Take it easy Naruto. This will be a special type of training we will be doing today." Naruto frowned, hoping it wasn't going to be another one of those strategizing and no action types of training.

"We have done this once before, but I need to test you once more to see how far you have come. I need to test your reaction to an encounter with Sasuke." Before Naruto could protest, Kakashi activated his sharingan and dispersed a genjutsu.

Naruto was thrown into a fiery, smoke filled empty field. His eyes searched around trying to locate his sensei, but the thick smoke wouldn't let him see beyond his outstretched arm. Kakashi was watching from a tree in the distance. He not only needed to see if Naruto was capable for this mission, but also he wanted to see if subconsciously Naruto would provide some clues as to what his problem was.

Kakashi had told a half truth when he'd stated that he'd done this before, but truth was, he'd used a slightly different genjutsu technique this time around. Originally, when training after Sasuke had been placed in the execution list, he had tested both Naruto and Sakura to see if they both had it in them to go against a comrade if it meant protecting Konoha. Both had done a great job considering, but he wasn't so sure now that Naruto had turned so evasive when it came to Sasuke. This genjutsu would simulate the last memory Naruto had of Sasuke. He would gauge Naruto's reaction and capability on how he handles himself.

The smoke started to clear, and a lone figure stood, waiting to be unveiled. Once Naruto realized it was Sasuke that stood in front of him, he tensed and took on his fighting stance. Kakashi watched as Sasuke approached Naruto. He was too far off in the distance that he couldn't hear what was said, but he could see that Naruto had dropped his stance and had begun to retreat. Naruto was yelling, and Sasuke backed Naruto against a hill. Some more bantering ensued as far as he could tell, and he thought a fight would be under way soon as Sasuke had grabbed ahold of Naruto's neck. Kakashi stared with interest as it appeared that Sasuke had turned his choke into a caress, and more when he saw the way Sasuke leaned in to whisper in Naruto's ear. Kakashi begun to get a feeling something strange must have happened between the two. And it was all confirmed when Sasuke captured Naruto's lips in his own. It only lasted a fraction of a second when Naruto attempted to throw a punch that simply went through the mirage. There was more talking on Sasuke's part, but Naruto had gained control of the situation and must have used the kyuubi to pull himself out of the genjutsu. Kakashi quickly descended from where he'd been hiding, and noticed the mental state Naruto had been reduced to. He noticed Naruto's increased breathing, as well as what he thought were trails of tears.

Naruto stared at him straight in the eyes, and with a sad smile, he said, "Hope you got your answers. I can take Sasuke on, just don't expect me to be civil."

With that, he stormed back into the forest. Kakashi sighed in realization. His team was more fucked up than he'd first imagined.

End of chapter

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the delay guys! I actually had half this chapter written a month ago, but instead of having the time to work on this story like I had thought during winter break, I was busy with travel and moving. Anyways, a new semester is upon us and there's lots of time for procrastination. No wonder I'm back in the game! Just want to thank the people that have taken the time to leave me a review. To address unsigned reviewers:**

**Shane: You are right, being drunk is not an excuse! I'm a bit appalled at Kakashi since he is supposed to be the adult one in this situation. I think Naruto must've felt something familiar, having felt Kakashi's mask and all. And maybe that's why things didn't strike him as odd. If it were Gai, I doubt he'd have gone crazy on him.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Torn Heart  
Ch. 6**

Today was supposed to be dedicated strictly to resting. Team Kakashi was scheduled to depart the following morning to a destination that would take nearly four days to travel. Four days, that is, if no impromptu stops were made along the way. Naruto had spent most of his last day indoors, trying to avoid his teammates. He'd heard from Sakura the day after he'd been briefed on this mission, that Kakashi had approved of Yamato's evaluation of Sai's and her own performance. Sakura had picked up on Naruto's gloomy mood and had instantly become worried; so Naruto had opted to avoid everyone until the last possible moment. No point in worrying the others unnecessarily if it would be detrimental to their needed rest.

In response, he'd spent all of his time alone; resting on his bed or lazing on the couch. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see Sasuke standing a few inches away, bending over ever so slightly to whisper in his ear. The genjutsu Kakashi had used on him had only made the memory of Sasuke stronger. Not only could he now clearly see the image of Sasuke in his head, but a tingling sensation now accompanied the areas where Sasuke had once touched. He caught himself rubbing his bottom lip, and he cursed Kakashi for throwing him back to that moment in time. He'd come so close to almost forgetting it had ever happened. Why was he now being presented with the opportunity to meet with Sasuke again? No matter how much he'd wanted to find Sasuke in the past, no leads that were worthwhile had ever been uncovered. Now that he had given up on bringing back that stuck up asshole, he had been gifted with the greatest lead of all. Was he truly destined to cross paths with his prophesized rival once more? Perhaps Sasuke wanted to be found, or better yet, was inconspicuously leaving a trail just for Naruto to pick up on.

No… Both ideas were ridiculous. He'd never be so careless as to give his location away. There were better ways to arrange a meeting with Naruto in secret if he needed to that badly. With newfound resolution, Naruto decided that he would confront Sasuke. He no longer was the same emotionally inexperienced youth that had allowed Sasuke to stomp all over his feelings. He was mad. No, he was more than mad. He was furious that Sasuke could throw him away the way he had. Naruto had done nothing but try to protect what they'd shared as comrades, and it was time for Sasuke to own up to his erroneous judgments and bad decisions.

He was now convinced that Sasuke could not seriously believe himself capable of extinguishing the only remaining connection he still had with somebody in this world. Without a single person to care for him, he'd have nothing but the same ongoing darkness that envelopes him to this day. Naruto wasn't implying that he is the only person that cares for Sasuke, in fact, many people in the village including Sakura and Kakashi still grieve for him; but someone would have had to be blind to miss the special regard the boys had for each other during the days of Team 7. Putting it boldly, it was as if Sasuke only had eyes for Naruto. He would disregard all others, and the only times any form of emotion, albeit anger and annoyance mostly, was let slip, it happened mostly when it concerned Naruto. Maybe if the tables were turned and Naruto pretended not to give a flying fuck about their "friendship," Sasuke would come to a realization. Because that is exactly how Naruto felt now. He felt like trashing that bond he'd once cherished with his entire life. He'd been betrayed in the worst way, while protecting what he believed mattered most. Maybe once Sasuke felt all alone, no attachments left in the world, he would come to realize what a mistake he was making; And Naruto would be there to show him there is still life beyond that of an avenger. It hurt him that Sasuke now regarded him with the same coldness as he did everyone else, but ultimately what crushed him was that Sasuke had violated him and walked away. What he wanted most if he could admit it to himself, was to sort through what had happened. He needed to know the reason behind the kiss. Sasuke didn't do that with people, or did he? It's been years since he's truly known Sasuke, but he found it hard to believe that all of a sudden he had developed an affinity to the opposite sex, or in his case, more bizarrely, to the same sex. If he had to imagine Sasuke in a romantically involved sense, knowing what a dick he is, he could see him being forceful when it came to sex. And he'd definitely been in command when he'd demanded Naruto suck him off. But the beginning felt different, that kiss had felt needy and so unlike what had followed. Naruto needed answers, but that would come after Naruto attempted to shatter Sasuke's illusion of him. The worst that could happen was that things would remain the same way they were now. Broken. With no hopes of reconciliation nor a future.

Deep inside, Naruto did not want to give up on Sasuke. But he needed to know there was regret before he could begin to heal. If Naruto was to encounter Sasuke, he would approach him with an aloof countenance. He wouldn't let Sasuke see that their last encounter had any effect on him. On the contrary, he would continue to play the little game they had started, and show that bastard how little the loss actually meant to him. Sasuke was under the impression that Naruto would despise him for what he did, but Naruto was determined to show him that their little tryst was only an eye opener. No point in saving the undesirable. He just hoped the realization that every last person he had known in the village could care less about him would strike Sasuke not as a victory, but as a loss. Sasuke hated the fact that his clan would one day be forgotten, so Naruto would make him feel forgotten, to test Sasuke's resolve. It was a long shot, but he'd be damned if Sasuke got a hint of the pain he had caused when he left.

Having spent all his day daydreaming and coming to terms with his feelings, it was no wonder that Naruto awoke right before sunrise, an uncomfortable ache beating below the waist band, having dreamt of pale white hands and dark eyes exploring his body and bringing him near the edge in his sleep. It wasn't the first time he had dreamt of Sasuke in this manner after the incident, but it was probably the first that he wasn't utterly disgusted, and most certainly the first that he was contemplating finishing off the deed. Up until now, the few times it had happened, he would take care of the problem with a cold shower. He didn't know if what he and Sasuke had done meant anything to either of them, but he did know that Sasuke was rapidly plaguing his wet dreams, whether he liked it or not, and that a part of him wished he could get another chance to feel those soft lips against his; if only to gain some sort of understanding of his confused feelings.

It was still dark when everybody left Konoha. Kakashi now on duty, did not make it a point to arrive late this time around, so everybody took to the trees on schedule and made a quick start. For the most part, the group traveled in silence. Everyone was engrossed in their own thoughts, anxious of a possible encounter with Sasuke. During the war, Naruto had been the only one that had seen Sasuke, the rest had only heard very little of their encounter.

The first day went by without rest, and the group only stopped at the midpoint nearing nightfall on the second day. If they wanted to make it there before their targets wandered off, they couldn't take the luxury of slowing down and taking breaks. They picked a spot near a river and decided to set camp for the night. To be efficient and travel at top speed, a few hours of rest was needed. Sakura had started slowing down an hour prior and that had indicated the need to stop.

Having a mokuton user in the group was definitely a perk, and Yamato quickly built a temporary cabin with three rooms for everyone to sleep in. Sakura called her own room, and Kakashi and Yamato were left with the remaining two. They weren't children anymore, all were at the jounin level, but it made the most sense that each team leader should share a room with one of the students. Naruto settled his things inside Kakashi's room without a thought, so Sai, who had the first shift at guarding their cabin, organized all his things neatly in Yamatos room and positioned himself in a nearby tree right outside.

The night went on without incident, and as exhausted as everyone was, they took turns keeping watch. Naruto had the last shift so he laid his sleeping bag against one corner of the room, and laid down after a quick change into his sleeping wear. Kakashi had yet to enter the room they had to share, and Naruto started to drift off to sleep. He wanted to talk to Kakashi about the other night, but he didn't know if he could keep awake until Kakashi returned. Now that he was sobered up and didn't have a blasting headache, he remembered that he had gone home with Kakashi sensei. How awkward that he'd been dragged all the way up to his apartment. He needed to thank Kakashi for the inconvenience. He knew how much Kakashi avoided mingling for long with his subordinates, so he at least wanted to thank him for the gesture.

He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been drifting off, but he heard light footsteps enter the room. It was dark since Yamato's ability was limited to reshaping wood and not light fixtures, but he could make out the soft sound of Kakashi removing his weapons and then the sound of maybe fabric dropping to the ground. His imagination ran wild; was Kakashi undressing in the same room as him? He decided against drawing any attention to his consciousness, and tried to steady his shallow breathing. Instead of hearing the rustling of a person settling into their sleeping bag, he heard footsteps directed towards his location. He was by now more than awake, wondering why the footsteps had suddenly stopped. He didn't know why but he didn't want the other man to know he was awake.

Unknown to him, Kakashi had made his way across the room right next to him. He was observing the blonde as he slept. Ever since their rendezvous, something had been nagging at him which left him unsettled. It wasn't guilt, but maybe a newfound intrigue in the boy left him feeling like a foolish adult. Naruto was young and inexperienced, and there was no way he'd have come onto him if he'd been aware of who exactly it was he was hitting on. Kakashi knew it was foolish to dwell on it and it was best to let it go, but it irked him that he was left with this memory that no one else recollected. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed it. He enjoyed pleasure. He was a secretive man that treasured his privacy. But behind closed doors, and with the right person, he sometimes partook in steamy sessions that would satiate him for weeks. Nobody was aware of this, but hiding behind a mask had its perks. When he needed to satisfy an urge, he'd go out unmasked and pick up the sexiest babe he could find. It helped that nobody could place the face with his identity. He was a simple man really, nearing his 30s. He enjoyed a healthy full figure and delicate skin. It was a shame he'd been so overworked the last couple of months that he hadn't gone on one of his escapades.

He wondered what it was about Naruto that left him thinking. What he had done with Naruto wasn't something that could be repeated again, but his body was left yearning for more. Naruto had seduced him so easily, a feat not feasible by just anyone. Kakashi wanted to know what it was about the boy that had managed that.

He had neared the boy, unveiling his sharingan to explore him in the dark. Naruto laid there on top of his covers, hand clutching the corner of the sleeping bag that covered half his waist and one of his legs. The night was hot and Kakashi upon returning to his room had immediately removed his vest and long sleeved top. A thin undershirt for modesty was left to protect his skin from the tropical heat. Naruto was sprawled on his back, one leg extended away from the wall, exposed in what he thought was an attempt to keep cool.

Kakashi got even closer, and kneeled next to the slumbering boy. It was a bad habit of his to refer to his students as children. Evidently, if Naruto was living proof of that, they were young adults. In less than a year, Naruto would be of legal age, and the dirty deeds that were playing in his head at the moment wouldn't seem so wrong. He squatted next to Naruto and stared at his stilled neck. He could make out the rise and fall of the pulse at the crook of the neck. He then went back up his face, and examined his lips. Those were the lips that had captured his without hesitation. Plump in his sleeping state, they opened ever so slightly when a slight twitch took ahold of Naruto's body.

Kakashi let his eyes trail even lower, to the only other visible part of his body, his exposed leg. It was slightly bent at an angle, his firm thigh facing away from his body. He could see that Naruto had changed out of his inferno of a jacket and accompanying sweats into his sleeping shorts, and the way he was sleeping, the shorts had hiked up revealing upon closer inspection a small view of his ball sac.

The sight of that didn't particularly arouse Kakashi, but he found himself unable to look away. Naruto's body was the perfect example of a shinobi's sculpted body from years of training that lacked countless battles during times of civil unrest. Kakashi's body was marred by multiple scars he'd had since childhood, and he admired that Naruto, as far as he could tell, had none.

Satisfied with the inspection he gave his student, Kakashi made to stand, when he got the irresistible urge to touch the jinchuuriki once more. He debated it, but decided that he was skilled enough to get away with one more peek. He hovered above Naruto's abdomen and slowly slid the cover that was covering part of his waist. It was no surprise that Naruto had well definied abs. His stomach twitched as Kakashi gently placed one finger to trail along the muscle of one six pack. Content that he'd been able to give Naruto a one-over while his mind was at its brightest, he quickly returned to his self-designated area as if nothing had happened and quickly fell asleep, ready to take his shift which was up in less than an hour.

When Kakashi left and took over Sai's watch, Naruto awoke in a stupefied trance. He'd been too afraid to open his eyes when he'd realized that Kakashi was standing right next to him. At first, he thought that his sensei was just making sure he was alright since everyone had been concerned initially when he'd been informed of the mission. But after what seemed like forever, he felt a shift in his covers and a tingling sensation feather against his abdomen. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that Kakashi sensei had lightly touched him. Immediately he got a nasty feeling at the pit of his stomach that there was an explanation behind what had just happened. He dreaded the fact that there was an increasing need to speak with Kakashi about the other night. The lapse in memory didn't help the matter either.

Having lost Jiraiya, Naruto had no one besides Iruka sensei that he felt compelled to confide in. Iruka remained like a father figure to him, and for that reason he had not come to him when so many questions arose after meeting with Sasuke. It wasn't a father he needed this type of advice from, but a friend. Being assigned this mission put many things into perspective. Kakashi had witnessed a moment of weakness during their training the other day, and even though he could hardly call him a friend, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to confide in another person what has been plaguing him nonstop for the past month.

He made up his mind. This mission has the highest probability to date that an encounter with Sasuke is imminent. Before they arrive to the town, he would speak with Kakashi and clear the air. That way he could clear his mind and concentrate solely on the mission at hand. _Two more days and I've got you Sasuke. This time we aren't here to bring you back. This might really be…the last time we meet. _

**Authors Note**

**Everyone! I'm sooo sorry it has taken me sooo long to update this story! Life happened and not only was I unable to take some time to update, but I also slowed down at reading current stories that I follow on here! That is saying something since I'm always caught up on the stories I read on here. Anyways, I'm confident in saying that next chapter won't be too far behind this update. Ideas are soaring in my head and I want to get them out before they pester and die. I know this chapter to some may seem a little slow. I wanted to get into the heads of everyone and explore in their perspectives. I feel this chapter was needed to sort out through feelings and move on with the plot. Hopefully it wasn't too boring to read. Naruto has decided to finally come out to someone, and who better than Kakashi sensei since he'd already seen a bit of what had happened through that genjutsu he pulled on Naruto. Sounds to me like conflict is in the air, stay tuned. Don't forget to review pretty please and I'll become motivated to update quicker: D Thanks to all my reviewers you are the reason I forced myself to sit down during this busy time to get this out to you all : )  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Torn Heart  
Ch. 7**

There was half a day left of travel before they reached the town they had set out for over four days ago. Their first night "camping-out" in the wilderness had gone by without a hitch. Nobody had spotted any lurkers during the night, so they'd made a hasty start before the sun came up the following morning. The journey up to this point had been uneventful. They traveled across what seemed like a never ending forest covered by sky scraping canopy trees that blocked away most of the day's sunlight with their thick foliage coverings, into a territory where the trees started to slowly become scarce.

Sakura had attempted to make small talk with Naruto as they travelled, but Naruto's mind was preoccupied with other equally pressing matters. As much as Sakura wanted to ease Naruto's mind, she'd been forced to let up when she realized Naruto was using the same phrase to reply to all of her mindless chatter. Besides her, everyone else travelled in silence. Arriving before nightfall so they could become situated was currently the main concern of the majority.

At the moment they were scouting a neighboring village. The village rested below a mountain range, overlooking a river that seemed to flow around the village. The mountains were rocky and there appeared to be very little green adorning the area. Dirt paved the walk ways, and from scanning the establishments that comprised the village, it was apparent that they utilized all the resources they had to build homes so unlike the wooden ones found in Konoha. This village was apparently days away from its surrounding villages; a vendor had informed them. In light of that, Kakashi thought it prudent to make a quick stop to gather information; in case a local had taken notice of any traveler matching their culprits' description.

Being that the village was pretty small, they split into three groups. "Sakura, I want you to go with Yamato and cover grounds north and east of here. I trust if put under questioning, you can pass off as a traveling couple?"

Sakura looked about ready to explode, the entire right side of her face twitching in annoyance, when Kakashi had finished his orders with a wink. She refrained herself from throwing a punch at him when she remembered they were on a tight schedule. She knew the ploy was to blend in as civilians, but did she have to be paired off with Yamato of all people? How about pairing her up with someone a little closer to her own age and not another old geezer like Kakashi-sensei. Her disposition fell and she let loose a defeated sigh.

"Naruto and Sai, you will be teaming up. Take care not to draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves," he stated dismissively. "Gather information in this area and head west when you are through here. Meet me at the edge of town in 30 minutes. Disperse."

Everyone disappeared in a poof except for Naruto and Sai. _Why do I always get stuck with this socially retarded jerk?_ "You better not do anything that will get us noticed Sai. Let me do all the talking so your big mouth doesn't give away we are Konoha nin," he quietly grumbled. He was already exhausted from the many days of travel, and the last thing he needed was to screw up and get yelled at by his teammates.

"Dickless, I'm clearly the best match for the male role as I actually have one. I read that the man is supposed to take the lead in a relationship. Why don't you relax and let me do the talking."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and gave Sai his deadliest stare. _Is he being for real? _ It didn't help matters that Sai had the same happy-go-lucky expression he always wore when he said something he wasn't aware was stupid.

"You dumbass! Kakashi was talking ONLY to Sakura when he told her to act like she was passing through this lame town with her boyfriend. He wasn't referring to us too! Think Sai. How would that plan even work out with the two of us!" Naruto rubbed his temple as he felt the inevitable headache that would no doubt follow if he continued to humor Sai's antics. Teaming up with Sai tended to really tire him out."Did it ever occur to you that we could just say we are related?" He flailed his arms around in exasperation to emphasize the obvious point.

"I don't mind," was his initial reply as he turned around and started walking away in the direction of the fruit and vegetable stands that were visible a little ways down the road they'd been arguing on. "The men from the other night didn't seem to have a problem with it."

Naruto stared after him with a quizzical expression plastered on his face. Their interactions as of late had gotten very strange. He didn't despise Sai anymore. He hadn't disliked him for a long time now. Not since Sai ascertained his loyalty to the team in Orochimaru's hideout; after he disobeyed Danzou's orders to kill Sasuke. Of course, that didn't mean certain things didn't irk him about the guy. Sai's inability to read peoples' moods and scenarios hovered over all of his friendships like a black cloud ready to wreak havoc on a perfect sunny day. Naruto decided to just dismiss all the weirdness as another one of Sai's all too common misunderstandings.

At the end of scouting the southern portion of the village, they hadn't stumbled across any meaningful information as of yet. The village was actually one of five miniscule villages that made up a territory in the Lightning country. These villages ran along the border between Lightning country and Rice country, and for that reason most had escaped the damage seen by the war. The war had destroyed a large portion of Lightning country closer to the coastline in the north. The rogue ninja they were after were probably frequenting the parts of the country that were least affected by the war.

Nobody except for a few giggling girls had given them a second glance as they'd wandered the streets of the inner sector. Naruto and even Sai, as oblivious as they were, missed the fact that two very attractive women had been trying to catch their attention for the entirety of their Intel gathering. To the disappointment of two of the best looking gals in the crowds, they'd dismissed both as merely shoppers.

Naruto had allowed Sai to conduct most of the work. He wasn't happy that Sai thought he'd admitted defeat thus acknowledging Sai as the better male figure, but heck he had other things on his mind that allowed him to quickly forget Sai and his inappropriate assumptions.

They weren't due to meet at the edge of town for another 10 minutes. Focusing his sensing abilities, he could tell that Kakashi was at the outskirts of town, about 10 miles from their current location. He could sense that Sakura and Yamato were waiting for them at the meeting point, and that Kakashi had started making his way in that direction. He must have finished his rounds.

A drop in his belly and an increase in heart rate accompanied his racing thoughts. He'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't once thought about that first night he'd shared a room with Kakashi-sensei. He'd tossed around many ideas in his head, and not a single one gave him insight as to why his sensei had hovered over him in his sleep. He knew his sensei was creepy, but in the many years they'd gone on missions together, not once had he come up to him in his sleep and touched him. He knew Kakashi-sensei was a sleazy pervert that drooled over porn, but even he was above molesting someone not in their conscious mind, right? It was really bothering him; so much so that he almost wished that he'd really been asleep so he wouldn't have to think about it.

As nervous as Naruto was to confront Kakashi, he knew that if he didn't, the what-ifs would continue to unsettle him. It's not like he believed Kakashi did that because he desired him. All the guy did was feel his maybe stare at him a little while he slept. He couldn't be too sure of that because he hadn't been able to open his eyes without being found out. But what he did know for certain, was that Kakashi had spent some time standing close to him, and had lifted his shirt to run what felt like a finger across his abs. _Aghhh why did you do that you sad excuse of a ninja, now I'm going to have to figure out a way to bring up the subject without inviting probable humiliation and possible denial on your part. _

Naruto knew this was his only chance before they reached the next town to speak privately with Kakashi-sensei without the others noticing. He had enough embarrassment waiting for him as it was, the last thing he needed was for the others to overhear their conversation.

Thinking quickly, he blurted out, "Sai, I uh… saw a souvenir back there that I'd like to get as a present for someone. Go ahead without me. Sakura and Yamato are already waiting for us, go tell them I'll be there in a few."

Sai, perceptive and yet uncaring that he'd just been lied to, shrugged and disappeared off into the distance. Calculating the perfect point to intersect his sensei so they could have some privacy, Naruto took off in a rush. _Calm down Naruto, don't let Kakashi see how nervous you are. With luck, this is just a misunderstanding and you'll end up feeling like a moron for thinking otherwise._

Running at top speed, Naruto waited on top of a building at the corner of the busy part of the village, and jumped off just in time to block Kakashi from passing through.

"Mah, mah, Naruto. Eager to be the first to share our findings aren't we?"

Kakashi's one eye creased in amusement at Naruto's disheveled look. Naruto's hair that would naturally spike up on any normal day, had slightly flattened out in appearance; his spikes were now restricted to the very top and front part of his hair, the rest cascaded downwards and clung to his face and the back of his neck. Droplets of sweat were visible resting along his neck and chest. The parts of the Lightning country they had travelled across seemed to have higher levels of humidity in comparison to Konoha. His student must have been feeling the heat, noting that his half unzipped orange jacket revealed the lack of his usual black undershirt. Kakashi knew that Naruto must have overexerted himself to be sweating this profusely, so he watched carefully, curious to know what his student wanted with him.

"You've got it all wrong, sensei. We didn't find anything of value. I was just picking up a little something at a shop nearby when I sensed you coming. Thought I'd wait so we could go back together."

_Now that's interesting. Hiding the fact that he came here just so he could speak with me. Hmmm maybe I'll play nice and not point out his obvious lie. Mah, just one won't hurt._

"Ne, is that so? You wouldn't mind showing me what you bought now would you? I was thinking of picking up a souvenir myself but I can't decide what to get." Kakashi snickered inside at the deer in the headlights look that came over Naruto's face because of his probing.

"Umm you know what sensei, I just remembered I forgot my bag in the store's bathroom I have to go get it bye," spewed Naruto in a single breath. As Naruto made to bolt out of there, his resolve nearly faded, Kakashi grabbed the collar of his jacket and held him in place. Naruto's legs swung forwards from the force of his attempted escape.

"It's okay Naruto. I know there must be something you want to talk to me about, or you wouldn't have gone out of your way to meet me. We don't have much time before we have to head back, why don't you just go ahead and tell me."

Naruto fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket. He cast his gaze downwards towards the ground, and began rubbing the dirt with the ball of his right foot. Naruto was unsure on how to bring up the topic. He had wanted to do it casually, but now it felt like he was put on the spot. Why hadn't anybody told him he sucked at lying! Maybe then he would have tried a different approach.

"Well you see Kakashi-sensei," he began, "I just wanted to thank you for helping me home after the party last week. I was so drunk I'm sure I would have done something stupid I might regret if you hadn't made sure I got home alright." Naruto, truly grateful, turned around to face Kakashi and gave him his most sheepish expression.

A pang of guilt assaulted Kakashi for being thanked when he'd done nothing but the opposite of what he was being thanked for, but the expert at hiding emotion that he was, he covered it up with the aloofness he was so famous for. "Now, now. There's no reason to formally thank me Naruto."

Naruto nodded, and placed a hand behind his head. "I guess I just felt I should thank you since one of the few things I remember is how much fun you and Gai sensei were having right before the night ended," he chuckled. Naruto knew how hard Kakashi always tried to avoid Gai, so he tried to shift the mood a little with a joke to tease his sensei.

It worked. Kakashi rolled his visible eye and let out a deep sigh. "Don't remind me about that deranged enthusiast. One of the reasons I can appreciate time spent away on a mission is so I can minimize the chances of accidentally running into him."

Naruto and Kakashi both smiled at that, and what started as a simple rise of the lips turned into some hysterical contagious laughter. Naruto grabbed at his sides, doubling over and unable to contain himself; and Kakashi tilted his face upwards towards the sky, amusement evident in the crease of his mask, as they were both having a laughing fest on Gai's expense. After a minute of uninterrupted laughter, once both started calming down and giggles turned into sighs, Kakashi spoke up. "Well Naruto, I'm afraid we need to start heading back. As much as you might want to prolong arriving at the next town, we need to get going so we don't miss our chance."

"Wait, sensei. There was something else…"

Naruto tried to calm the rise of his beating heart, too scared his sensei would catch wind of how nervous he was becoming.

"Oh?" Kakashi questioned.

"I was awake. "

"You were?"

"Yes. I couldn't sleep."

Kakashi examined Naruto for a moment, leveling him once again with one of his bored looks. Noticing that Naruto didn't plan on continuing, he simply replied, "Okay. Maybe next time you will catch more sleep." Kakashi looked about to start moving, when he felt Naruto brush past him and stop his movements with the palm of his hand pressed flat against his chest.

"No. This Kakashi-sensei." He gathered his courage and slid the hand he'd used to halt him, under his vest. He figured in this situation, actions spoke better than words.

Kakashi quickly put two and two together, and for what felt like a minute but must have been a few seconds, he was at a loss for words. Naruto was staring intently at his face, gauging his reaction. He didn't know what Naruto wanted him to say. Naruto had been awake when he'd examined his "sleeping" body. Why hadn't he noticed? Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't hesitate answering with the truth. After all, he was the infamous copy ninja of Konoha and there weren't many people around that would complain about taking Kakashi as a lover. Okay, that sounded a bit narcissistic. It didn't change the fact it was a true statement though.

A dozen excuses flooded Kakashi's senses. He could lie and say Naruto had been making strange noises so he'd walked over to check if everything was alright. He'd only touched him to count his breaths per minute…Oh what bullshit excuse that was. He could claim denial and insist someone must have used the shadow clone technique and disguised themselves as Kakashi. He could easily get Yamato to give an alibi for him without having his subordinate question him. But then inevitably Naruto would become suspicious of the other members of his team and that would cause more problems than it was worth. _Think. Think. Tsk, another worthless excuse... _And _he_ got it! He could have been sleep walking... Yes, that was it. Nobody could blame a sleep walker for what they did under such a daze.

Wrapping his hand over the wrist that was currently pressed against his naked flesh, Kakashi gently removed it from under his vest. Naruto's gentle but firm touch served as a reminder of their forbidden tryst, and without letting go of his wrist, he became lost for a moment in Naruto's deep blue eyes. When he realized he'd been staring and had yet to say something, he noticed that Naruto had begun to shake softly. Nerves and anticipation must have taken a toll on him. Kakashi knew this wasn't the time to further flood Naruto with issues that had the potential to become very problematic, but he found himself unable to let go of his hand. He quietly ran his hand up Naruto's arm, while at the same time pulling him closer.

Naruto's heart felt about ready to spring out of its cavity and shoot straight through his head. His head was pounding like crazy; he could hear the thudding sounds ringing loudly in his ears. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. It's not like he had feelings for his teacher. Kakashi was an older man, his sensei of many years no less. Why was it that he was looking forwards with anticipation to what his sensei had to say?

A chill ran through his body as Kakashi clasped his upper arm in a tight hold. Naruto wet his lips nervously, as Kakashi's other hand made its way up his side. He was being held against Kakashi, their chests barely touching. Looking up, he found Kakashi's penetrating stare scan his face, as if deliberating something. He could hear Kakashi's heavy breath muffled behind his mask. Kakashi had yet to say something, and honestly, Naruto didn't think he needed to. By now he understood exactly what was going on. _What do I do, what do I do. Would he let me go if I push him away? _

Intimidated by the closeness, Naruto wedged his hands between them and pushed with all his strength. Reacting quickly, Kakashi retaliated and shoved Naruto against a building facing an alley. By now Naruto was very taken aback, what did his sensei want with him? He had come here hoping he'd be proved wrong, but things were swiftly confirming his fears.

"Stop sensei. You were right. It's not the time to have this conversation. Please let me go the others will come looking for us." There was an edge of fear in Naruto's tone. Kakashi didn't like that. Was he fearful because he didn't want the others to find them like this, or was he afraid of his next move? Could it be that Naruto found him unpleasant? He'd be hurt if his student found him too unappealing to view as dating material, but well there was nothing he could do about it now was there? Better to find out now than never, he rationalized. Things had gotten this far already anyways, one last move wouldn't hurt.

Without warning, Kakashi pulled down Naruto's headband that had been turned inside out to hide his country affiliation, and covered his eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing…mmm" Naruto's protests were silenced by a hungry kiss. Kakashi devoured his mouth like a hungry animal. His tongue ran wild inside his mouth, leaving no area unexplored. He coerced Naruto's protesting tongue in his, and sucked it right out of his mouth, suctioning softly, driving a long throaty moan out of his unsuspecting victim. Naruto had given up the fight the instant he'd felt a tongue enter his mouth. He didn't have much experience with kissing; the only times he'd actually done it was with Sasuke. But he'd forgotten how nice it felt to have someone massage your tongue with theirs. A memory of Sasuke passionately kissing him surfaced from the confines of his mind, and he instantly snapped awake from his daze, shoving Kakashi away with near violent fervor. Gasping for air now that his tongue was released from its capture, he frantically rummaged his mind, trying to find the right words to say. He didn't have to think long before Kakashi stole that load away from him.

"There isn't' a whole lot to deliberate over Naruto. It wasn't until last week that I began to take notice of you in this… way. Just try not to think too hard on it, okay? I know I'm not." Kakashi added that last part almost dismissively, and as he jumped over the rooftop of the building they'd been leaning against, he added, "Don't be long. They expect tardiness from me; I wonder what excuse you can give them that won't make Sakura want to chop your head off. She is quite eager to get to the next village, best not to keep her, or any of us waiting." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a blur.

Naruto was left dumbfounded, a lone figure abandoned in an empty street. He touched his lips with his hand, unbelieving of what had just transpired. _I just made out with Kakashi sensei. Holy shit!_ With no time to spare, as they were already over 30 minutes late, Naruto raced in the direction travelled by the lazy ninja. Not until he'd almost made it back, did he realize that he'd missed his possibly last chance at peeking behind his sensei's mask! It was too early to think about a continuation of events. He'd at least, for better or for worse, managed to resolve the one issue that had plagued him for the last couple of days. All that was left now was confronting Sasuke. Feeling a rush of adrenaline pumping his veins, he reached the others, and together they departed on their last stretch of travel.

**Authors Note: **

**So there you have it! Another update! So I added a little something at the end there, hope you guys enjoyed. Kakashi appears to have the hots for naruto, how fun! I'm not sure Naruto knows how to feel about it. It's too bad he doesn't have much time to think about things. They are on a dangerous mission atm. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far. My head is filled with ideas and scenarios I want to see played out, so reviews are my motivation! Please leave me some feedback if you liked the chapter. Until next time : ) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Torn Heart  
Ch. 8**

A blur of green surrounded two figures as one chased after the other. Naruto's throaty scream pierced the deafening clash of wind produced by the high speed pursuit.

"Stop right there teme! It's enough, you've lost them already."

Running out of stamina, Naruto was beginning to struggle just to keep up with Sasuke. Both were badly beaten, an assortment of colorful bruises beginning to mar their person. Weeping wounds that had been inflicted not long ago were slowly beginning to heal on the blonde's body. A gash on his right shoulder that had dyed his jacket a dark red had finally stopped bleeding. Sasuke on the other hand, looked the worse for wear, a busted lip and one swollen eye ruining his otherwise flawless appearance. His long sleeved shirt long destroyed revealed an upper body littered with new scars and open cuts. The center of his back was scorched black from a nasty burn, and his right arm appeared to have gone limp.

Slowing down, the pursuit soon drew to a sudden halt, as Sasuke yielded to Naruto's words. It was true that the others had lost his trail. As soon as he'd realized there were others on the way, he'd bolted. He had no desire to listen to petty words. The last thing he wanted was to be the recipient of endless backlash and futile attempts at retrieving him.

The dark haired teen dropped from his perch on the tree he was resting on, and took a moment to collect his thoughts. Saying that Naruto had shocked him was an understatement. He had not expected to encounter the blonde so soon. He'd felt some form of finality last time they'd met, even if thoughts of Naruto had yet to dissipate from his mind. He figured he'd known the guy for years; maybe it took that same amount of time to forget an idiot like him. Seeing him again though, unexpected as it was, didn't bring along the usual anger that accompanied seeing that stupid face. On the contrary, he'd felt an unidentified feeling at the backlash he was initially confronted with.

**FLASHBACK**

Juugo and Suigetsu were late. One of the reasons he preferred this team over his previous team, was that he didn't have to deal with unpunctual thus incompetent ninjas. Since letting go of Karin for her repeated undesirable advances towards him, there had been a slack in work ethic that was really starting to irritate him. Juugo, although his most loyal follower, did not obey all of his orders unless transformed. His reluctance to kill at times jeopardized their missions. On the other hand, Suigetsu, who had no qualms about killing and was actually quite fond of it, was rather belligerent and a nuisance at times. Their flaws put aside, so far they had proved to be an effective team. There were just some things Sasuke was not willing to tolerate.

Not wanting to attract any more attention than he normally did by his looks alone, Sasuke made his way inside the least crowded eatery he found in the area. He had travelled a long way to arrive in this measly town _right on time_. The plan was to meet in this town, at this hour, within the 3 day span. If Sasuke failed to show, they were to continue to the next point, and regroup there. Sasuke however, had finished his assignment in a timely fashion and was not expecting any delays on their part. Fuming, he tried to hide his scowl as a waitress approached him to take his drink order, but failed when she slipped a note under his napkin. Beyond irritated at this point, he let his mind wander back to his brother, where it rarely strayed from since as long as he could remember.

Since settling matters with Itachi, Sasuke had been struggling internally about his goals and purpose. He was the last survivor of his clan, and the only one that could pass on that legacy. His people had been made outcasts, forced into living in the outskirts of Konoha, isolated from others. His brother was forced to make an impossible decision; one that would label him a traitor and force him to live beneath the shadows for the rest of his life. All the suffering forced upon his clan and family fueled his feelings for revenge, and a big part of him still wanted to destroy those responsible for the deed. He felt that he'd be going against Itachi's will if he targeted the entire village, and truthfully, after some reflection, most of the people there were neither involved nor aware of the injustices done. So Sasuke was pressured, a little regretfully, by his own conscience and respect for his brother, to abandon his ploy of destroying Konoha, and in turn was left with an unlimited amount of free time. Not being affiliated or having any ties to any country proved to be very liberating, if not boring and uneventful at times. He knew where his responsibilities laid in the future, and he was in no way looking forward to that stage in his life. So for the moment, until he needed to settle down and rebuild his clan, he needed to spend all his resources on becoming stronger and surpassing _him_.

Sasuke had been largely absent during the war, only participating when it involved his brother. But he'd witnessed the battle against Tobi and Madara. He'd watched Naruto from afar, pleased at his growth as a shinobi. One thing he'd learned from observing, Naruto was a ninja to be reckoned with. If half the rumors he'd been hearing about lately were true, Naruto would be making history. Victory would be that much sweeter defeating the hero everyone was quickly beginning to worship. He may have allowed the other an escape when he hadn't instigated a fight, but if they were to meet again, he needed to be prepared to demonstrate who was superior, in one final battle.

After the war, his handpicked team had made their way back to him. Even the discarded Karin who'd apparently escaped prison in Konoha had returned. For a few weeks, he'd deliberated on his purpose. Was he to disband his team, did he infiltrate Konoha and behead the elders, did he eradicate the infuriating blonde whose pleading eyes refused to leave his thoughts for even a day? Mentally exhausted, he'd opted to delay any decision making and decided to keep his team around so long they didn't get in the way. Karin soon overstayed her welcome the night she snuck into his room and tried to get into bed with him. The other two were cutting it close, making him wait for what seemed to be more than an hour past the scheduled time. He wondered now whether this assignment was even worth the trouble. He hadn't found anything of use; he could only hope the others didn't come back empty handed.

There had been rumors that one of Orochimaru's few remaining hideouts, the one where the most valuable scrolls and experimental data and equipment were stored, had been discovered and would soon be scouted by Konoha nin. There were several scrolls of interest there that Sasuke would have hated to see lost. That had marked the end to his inactive phase, and a new mission for the team had been established. Without much difficulty, Juugo and Suigetsu retrieved the scrolls he'd requested, with the addition of an extra scroll they claimed the Konoha nin were particularly guarding. Upon inspecting the contents, the wheels in Sasuke's head had begun to spin. There were several key elements of information that could be easily exploited as blackmail. The scroll contained a mixed array of classified information, from countless counts of fraud and corruption in the system dating back to the origins of the village, to detailed descriptions of tactical strategies of the defense forces that were current with the times. There was no doubt Konoha would be coming after them, knowing this sensitive information had fallen into the wrong hands. The success of their scavenge had motivated Sasuke to search further.

There were two remaining hideouts Sasuke suspected might contain more items of interest; thus their latest assignment. It had been about a week since he'd last sent his team out. He'd gone alone to the untraveled western part of Rice Country to search one hide out, and had sent the other two to the east, where the country bordered Lightning Country. They'd set up a time and place to meet upon their completion, in one of the towns close to the border in Lightning Country. Suigetsu had not stopped pestering them about a sword in the area he needed to "feast his eyes on,"so Sasuke had agreed to meet just outside of Kumogakure. The last thing he needed was to be recognized and consequently stir another man hunt for his head.

So that's how he'd ended up here, inside a meager restaurant looking like one fine eligible bachelor. Short on patience and tired of the ogling eyes of the female wait staff, Sasuke ventured out and decided to search for his inept teammates. He was not one to worry, especially when it concerned S-ranked criminals, but they were really late and he had a sneaking suspicion trouble was in the air. Scanning the entire village, he deduced the pair was not in the vicinity. _I'll murder them if Cloud ninja so much as look my way. _Irked that he now had to go on an aimless hunt, he tediously wandered from village to village, hoping he'd catch whiff of them before too long.

A series of explosions in the distance tipped him off to a probable scuffle, and he rushed towards the blaze in a concealed manner, kunai in hand and sharingan spinning.

_Oh fuck_, was his immediate response as his black orbs were replaced with his infamous crimson ones. He saw as Suigetsu was stunned by the after effects of Kakashi's raikiri striking his hydrated form. Further in the distance, he could feel what he recognized as Juugo's sporatic burst of chakra and two others he was not familiar with, crashing against each other. Not wanting to risk being spotted, he inconspicuously moved to where he could better view Juugo's battle. Sure enough, his replacement's ink monsters were crashing down on the orange haired man as he was being restrained by what appeared to be a wood element jutsu. Half of Juugo's body was covered in cursed seal markings, and he was raging like the lunatic that he was. Even though it was two against one, the enemy team sure appeared to be struggling.

_Damn I didn't expect for them to catch on to us so soon. If Kakashi's team is here, Naruto and Sakura must be nearby. _Deciding against aiding his teammates, _they can handle themselves, _Sasuke decided to scan for Naruto. If they were after him, it was best he locate the target before they try and ambush him. He didn't have to go very far before he heard voices.

A feminine voice he vaguely recognized whispered in a hushed tone. "Ne, Naruto. Are you sure it's okay to keep searching while the rest of our team is held in battle? What if they need my healing abilities?"

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, it will only be one quick round and then we can turn back and assist them. It was Kakashi sensei's idea to search for Sasuke in case he's around here. Just concentrate so we can hurry on back, okay?"

Sasuke saw as the pink haired girl nodded. He could see his old teammates walking side by side, talking about him unbeknownst of his presence. He followed them from atop tree branches as they gained way through ground. There was something about the way they walked and talked; both seemed on edge. Sakura had a nervous vibrato to her voice, and Naruto, well…he couldn't quite read him.

As he tried to zero in on the blonde idiot, he stopped as Naruto stilled. A surge in Naruto's chakra preceded a charged kunai heading his way. A wooden plank replaced his perch on the tree as he substituted away from the attack, and he appeared in front of the pair, smirk in place.

"Took you long enough, dobe. Another minute and I would have had to throw a party just to get you to notice me."

Naruto snorted , indignant at the sly comment. "Very funny, Uchiha Sasuke. But you are not the reason we are here this time; In case your egotistic self was wondering." His voice had a tinge of coldness to it as he said that. "Although bringing in a traitor like you would be an added bonus," he added as an afterthought.

The dark haired teen raised a brow, amused at the tone of voice Naruto seemed to have adopted with him. "Didn't sound that way to me, the way the both of you kept using my name every other time those big mouths of yours opened."

Naruto blanched, clearly upset Sasuke had heard them. Before Naruto could refute back, Sakura cleared her throat, successfully gathering both boys' attention. Her voice carried freely, but Sasuke had no ears for her. Instead, he took that time to examine his ex-teammate. She had grown into a strong woman. Even more so than the last time he'd tried to kill her. She had the air of a powerful ninja, not unlike Tsunade. He took note of her slim yet solid figure, and reminded himself that those lithe arms packed quite a punch. Before long, he noticed he had two pairs of eyes eyeing him expectantly, and then Naruto butted in, in an icy tone, "Don't just stand there and ignore her teme, have the decency to reply at least once. God could you be any more arrogant!" Naruto stood there, arms folded across his chest, staring harshly into his eyes.

_He's definitely mad for last time. This is more than I expected, I didn't think he'd have the balls to face me after that. _Sasuke remained quiet, pondering where to go from there. He had an increasing itch to coax Naruto into a brawl. But now was not the best time to start one. In the recesses of his mind, he slowly registered a feminine voice, and soon realized he'd been tuning it off again. Next thing he knew, he was dodging a blow to the face, an angry blonde spewing incomprehensible threats. That was the little shove that he'd needed. A full blown battle ensued.

"You think you're better than us you bastard!" Naruto was yelling as he fired his weapons.

"That was never a question," he smoothly retorted. He countered the attack by blocking the projectiles with his sword. The kyuubi host was red faced, breathing roughly through his gaping mouth. "What's the matter sissy, something bothering you?" He appeared right behind Naruto, holding his short sword against the center of his back. Stabbing it through the middle, a puff of smoke appeared and many shadow clones came crashing down from the surrounding trees. Destroying all of the clones one by one, Sasuke barely managed to dodge a precisely aimed Rasen shuriken to the head.

Seeing a panicked Sakura building chakra into one fist, Naruto stubbornly spouted at her to back off. "Sakura, don't interfere!" Naruto yelled. "I can handle this bastard myself!"

Naruto had called upon his demonic fox's power and had fired a barrage of his most deadly attacks. Sasuke not to be outmatched, had activated his eternal mangekyou sharingan and summoned his perfected version of susano. At this point, Sakura had tried to interfere; too afraid her teammates would end up killing each other. She'd been too late. At the same time Sasuke's sword had pierced straight through Naruto's shoulder, Naruto's rasengan had made contact with Sasuke's back, and both had fallen, badly injured. Sakura had rushed to Naruto's aid, only to be pushed aside by a hurried Naruto. He'd bolted after a fleeing Sasuke.

**Present**

Sasuke was waiting for Naruto to continue. His chakra levels were dangerously low after overusing the eternal sharingan, but he was confident he could out-beat the other in a taijutsu match. Back at the clearing, he'd sensed the approaching chakras of the rest of Naruto's team, and his immediate reaction had been to retreat for cover. He needed to get away fast, or else he risked capture. As much as he could delight in further beating the shit out of the jinchuuriki, he wasn't sure it was worth the prize. For now, he'd evaded being spotted by the other ninja, so he'd bought himself some time to regard the desperate blonde that had pursued him this far. Something about his attitude had really irked him. He wanted to find out the extent of his newfound anger.

Minutes ticked by and neither of the boys said a word, both wanting the other to break the self-induced vow to silence. They stood stock still, bodies turned towards each other, impassive dark eyes staring into fiery blue ones. The occasional sound of rustling leaves, lifted and tossed around by the whistling wind, the only disruption in the unusually mute forest. Tiring of the silent game and increasing pain from his injuries, the pale teen made to turn around, ready to leave without another word, when Naruto's piercing voice stopped him right in his tracks.

"That's right Uchiha. Walk away. Run away like you always do when up comes a problem you can't handle. I've thought long and hard about you…about us. And I'm glad it is finally over. A person like me does not deserve the weight of a friend like you." Naruto scoffed sarcastically as he spat out the word friend_. _ "If I were you right now, I would run. Because I would hate to be forced back into a village where nobody wants me... So get away now. Seize this last act of kindness I am offering you. Because once you are back in Konoha, I can assure you, there won't be anyone left that will vouch for you anymore." Naruto turned his head; face cast downward in an attempt to shield his miserable eyes away from Sasuke's stunned ones. His blonde locks covered his eyes from view. An inexplicable emotion had seized him as he'd ground out what his mind had spoken but his heart denied. His heart fluttered in rapid yet painful thumps that left him feeling breathless after seeing the scattered emotions that had flashed through Sasuke's normally void face.

Silence once again consumed them. Sasuke had heard the tremor in Naruto's voice as he'd neared the end of his ramble. He didn't care what Naruto thought; whether he meant what he'd said or not, it was all the same to him. He was tired. Naruto was telling him to run, so obviously he couldn't run. He'd wasted too much time standing around waiting for this moron to speak his mind, so he was certain the others would soon be tracking them down.

On a whim, uncaring about the repercussions, he dropped to the ground, cross legged, ready to face his assailants. He wasn't able to sense his teammates, so he could rightfully assume that they'd been captured. Naruto gave him an incredulous look, which he readily ignored. It'd been a long time since he'd last set foot on Konoha, the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

If they didn't want him there, he'd be sure to come back, ready to remind every single one of them of the tragedy behind the Uchiha Clan. Fuck being jailed or retained, he'd waltz back in as if he'd never left. They better be prepared if they thought they could strip him of any of his human rights upon his return. Because he was only coming back under his terms.

Estimating it would be another 15 minutes before anybody found them, Sasuke closed his eyes and begun to meditate. That only lasted as long as a minute before he snapped, feeling skeptical eyes boring into him. "Will you stop staring!" he barked.

A trembling Naruto clenched his fists besides himself, barely able to contain his resentment. "Why are you doing this…" he uttered almost inaudibly. "Why now! When I've finally been able to finish with you!" he yelled with added force.

"It's not about you, Naruto," he exhaled, a bit resigned. "Or..." he paused, thoughtful. "Did you want it to be?"

His dark orbs flashed crimson for an instant. So subtle it was, Naruto thought he'd imagined it.

Thrown off guard, the flustered teen stumbled with his next words. "You wish teme! What has gotten into you? Seriously! I chased after you for so long and not once did you bat an eye my way. Now that _I've told you, _he emphasized, _that I don't give a shit_ what you do, you're ready to give up just like that. And come back? You're unbelievable!" He was getting so riled up he'd approached the resting Sasuke unknowingly. He was now looking down at the dark haired boy, almost ready to strangle him.

Stretching an arm out to yank at Naruto's pants, Sasuke not-so-gently shoved him down. Naruto fell hard on his ass, trying very hard to hold on to the anger that had festered in him for the past month. Deep down he was elated that Sasuke, their Sasuke, apparently decided on coming back to Konoha with them. Perhaps not as elated as he would be had the circumstances been a bit different, or entirely different; but elated nonetheless. _Why do I get this feeling he's only coming back because I declared my complete contempt for him… _

"Just shut up dobe. And listen. For obvious reasons, it's going to cause major problems, bringing me back into the village. You may have held some misplaced trust in me before, but did everyone else?" He paused momentarily for a response, but the single look he received had been enough of an answer. "Didn't think so." He created shackles made out of chakra, and entrapped his arms behind his back. "They are almost here. Pretend that you've captured me Naruto. I'm not going back without a fight if anyone thinks they can restrain me against my will." Sasuke rose, and the other boy followed uncertainly.

"Umm Sasuke, what are you plotting? I told you I wasn't going to be there for you, remember?" he asked hesitantly. It would be too easy to let Sasuke off the hook just like that. He needed to teach him a lesson. Even if confusing feelings were clouding his judgment at the moment. As much as he wanted to relax around Sasuke, he needed to keep his guard up. To guard against falling deeper in lust with his rival, and also to demonstrate he wasn't someone to walk all over.

Just before the team barged into their site in the forest, Sasuke situated his back against Naruto's front, dangling his restrained arms against his leg, in a friendly reminder to follow the plan. Sasuke's cheeky smirk went unnoticed as he heard Naruto cuss under his breath. Grabbing hold of his "prisoner's" binded arms, he greeted the surprised team as they arrived just in queue.

"So…we have Sasuke…" Naruto trailed off, the reality of his words barely starting to dawn on him.

**Authors Note:**

So there you have it. Another chapter : ) Hope this chapter wasn't too slow for everyone. I had a bit of a hard time writing it, because it was one of those chapters necessary to speed the story along. At least, after this, we'll have Sasuke back in the village. And the true fun can begin hehehe I actually can't wait to get to those points in the story, it's going to be so much fun writing about a Naruto torn in two hohoho Reviews give me inspiration, please if you've taken the time to read my story do give me some feedback! Thanks and until next time : )


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